《The Silver Exile》


 Prologue: Welcome Little Exiles

    "Somebody help me!" a woman cried.


    "Keep running son! Don''t look back," a man cried.


    "Fuck. Just how bad is our luck to run into a nest of them," a man cursed as a small group of refugees scattered as black wolves with four eyes and two tails chased after them.


    If you fell, you died. If you cried for help, no one would aid you. That is the life of those who had to survive outside the cities. Some were born Exiles, the people of the wilderness. Others, had blood that was susceptible to the virus and not allowed into the city.


    Two boys and a girl huddled together as they watched the distant refugees scatter. One boy had sky blue eyes and jet black hair that fell to his shoulders. Another boy had blonde hair and the same sky blue eyes. They were cousins and had been on the run since the first memory they still had of their parents. The girl was blonde and had green eyes. She was the younger twin of the blonde boy.


    "It''s happening again," Catherine whimpered, closing her eyes and covering her ears fifteen people walked onto the roof.


    "What''s wrong, Catherine?" a man asked. "Edward? Vincent?"


    "It''s another group of refugees headed to Black Gate City. Must be their first time in city ruins. They traveled, at night, on the streets," Edward answered as he comforted his twin.


    "We can use this chance to cross their territory and enter the city," a woman said, holding her son in her arms.


    "Quickly, let''s move," another agreed and they all left to gather their things.


    "Vincent? We need to go. Cat is already scared. I need you to help me protect her," Edward frowned, as his cousin did not move.


    "I know, Eddy," Vincent said, holding a small dragon''s tooth on his neck. It was a tooth that was left behind on the wall after it killed his parents. When Edward''s parents found Vincent, all they saw were broken walls, pools of blood, and a little boy holding his mother''s head with a tooth stuck on the side of the temple.


    A single, small dragon killed his own mother. What it was before mutation, Vincent just said, "It was my pet Thorny Devil. It was just a desert lizard. Just a lizard...."


    Vincent never spoke what happened before the incident. The lizard had to have been infected somehow. Whatever the truth was, only Vincent knew about it. He always had three things he kept secret, even to his cousins. The truth of the incident, the filled magical gourd in his black satchel, and who his birth father was. He merely said he was in Black Gate City and nothing more.


    Edward could only guess that Vincent hated him as Vincent was born from a mistake and his mother was forced to raise him alone. He also avoided all talk about his father even before Edward lost his parents before finding the group they currently traveled with.


    The three orphans followed the group as they left down an eight story building. They had to be careful as they took the stairs. It was in ruins and a single jump could collapse it and you would fall all the way to the bottom.


    "Everyone got their magic bags?" a man asked. Items also mutated. No one knew how or why a non-living item could mutate, but they did and many had their uses. Vincent adjusted his black satchel as Catherine and Edward nodded as they retrieved their backpacks. Bags and other items were easy to find in the wilderness.


    While dangerous beyond compare, the wilderness was a treasure trove of magical items. The Exiles would always say it was the influence of the infected as most treasures were found in or near monster nests.


    Of the three cousins, Edward had the most magical items. He always carried his black and gold metal spear, the weapon able to freeze whatever it stabbed. Vincent had a silver sword with a blue-black cross guard. He had found it while finding his new pet that caused the disaster. He called it Silver Thorn as the blade was silver and gave off a silver aura when he wielded it. While his two cousins also found several other items, the only one he had were the gourd and a white silver ring he always wore. It''s effects, he didn''t know.


    Edward and Catherine were born in a long family line of Exiles. Through his mother, Vincent was the same as she was the sister of Edward''s dad. For people who lived in the city, the Exiles owning an abundance of treasure was the only real thing they envied. Exiles would always seal magical items with a drop of blood or any thief could take and use it.


    Exiles were different than people born in the city. Every human was born with a crystal core that gave them gifts after the virus broke out. However, only Exiles could do things no one else could. They couldn''t awaken the power of their crystal cores without help from the city, but only Exiles could seal magical items before an awakening. They also had a sacred rule they never told outsiders: their ability to hide any magical items they bonded and they could never be detected by any means. Even if someone asked to inspect their magical bags, they would only see what the Exile wanted them to. Thus, anyone would only think the ring Vincent wore was ordinary and find no gourd in his satchel.


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    "All the men, make sure you only shoot your guns if we are surrounded. Fighting with blades gives us a higher chance to survival as it makes less noise," the man warned and they ran through the alleys. Cloths were tied on the bottom of their shoes, silencing their steps.


    "They spotted us!" a man cried as three wolves appeared behind them as one bit off the arm of one of the refugees.


    "Help me!" the man cried before a second wolf tore into his chest.


    "Nailed bats," the man cried and the men surged to the rear.


    "Quickly, go over the fence," a woman cried and they all helped the six children before going over it themselves.


    "You get those kids to the city," the leader said, as the two women nodded as the other quickly dragged her son to the black, walled city.


    "Vincent!" Edward cried as wolf appeared and tackled him, a claw scratching the left side of his face before the ear.


    "Keep going!" VIncent shouted as he stabbed the bottom of the wolf''s neck with the dragon tooth and stuck his fist inside it. The wolf chocked on its own blood and Vincent pushed the heavy carcass off, knowing full well he was lucky he was not a teen or his head would have been bit instead of being tackled. He quickly blocked the wound with a piece of his shirt and stored it in his satchel with a flash of black light. He quickly made it to the others as he tried to ignore the pain on his face.


    "There it is," a boy cried, as they panted through the streets as wolves watched from the roof. "Search lights are on at the gate. We''re saved!"


    "Nobody move!" a black armored guard shouted as he fired his machine guns at the chasing wolves. Three wolves died before they retreated. Edward looked back and saw the mother and her son crying as four other children were behind him and Catherine. Fenrir had a cloth pressed against the left side of his face as it bled.


    "Please let us into the city," the woman cried.


    "Not until you are tested for the virus," the guard said. "Men, take some samples of their blood and get it tested. You refugees stay at the side."


    Guards took out syringes and took the blood from the arms of the others. One slowly got the blood bleeding from Vincent''s face as Vincent had been cut by one.


    "Okay, only these three boys and the girl, are immune. The boy with the wound and the two blonde kids even have synergy with the virus, their blood co-existing with it. The son of that woman is just immune," a guard said.


    "No! I can''t leave my boy!" the mother cried as the others were scared off by shooting the ground by their feet.


    "Either you come in or you both go! Your son''s only immune anyway," the guard snarled. "You want to let your son live as a human or die like dog?!"


    "Son....my Little Kevin, go with these people. Mommy has to go now," the woman cried as she hugged her son and ran off with the other woman and children.


    "Mommy, no! Mommy! Don''t leave me! Don''t leave me!" Kevin cried as a guard grabbed him.


    "Listen to your mommy, son. She left for you," the guard said.


    "No! You''re a bad man! Let me go!" the boy shouted until he was hit in the back of the head. "Get this brat to the orphanage and take those three to the testing center."


    "Come this way, kids. You''re safe now. Not everyday do we get Exiles from the north sector. It''s the most monster-infested ruins near the city," a female guard with long red hair smiled. "What are your names?"


    "Catherine. That''s my elder twin, Edward. My cousin''s name is Vincent," the girl sniffed as she hugged her arms. "Why were the others scared away?"


    "They weren''t immune or compatible with the virus. If they got scratched or infected, they would mutate into one of those monsters," the guard sighed as she pat the girl on the head. "You three are even compatible! You have the option to work hard in any field within our city. You don''t have to fight for your life anymore."


    "That hurts," Vincent snapped as he grit his teeth while the guard sprayed antibiotics on his wound.


    "Medicine?" Edward gasped, only seeing them in books he had read.


    "Of course. You will live in the city now. City states are some of the only places with lost technology still around," she smiled as she led the dirty, bloodied orphans to the testing center. "Pity about the wound. It might scar but its small and horizontal before the ear. It won''t look too bad as it is not across your face. As for you twins, you made it okay. All your questions will be answered at the testing center. You all look about ten. At age fifteen is when you have to choose an occupation to grow up to follow. Until then, you will learn about life in Black gate City, the history of humanity, and the various options you will have in the future. Welcome, Little Exiles, to Black Gate City."

 Chapter 1: The Testing Center

    Chapter 1: The Testing Center


    "Hello Little Exiles," a man in a lab coat said as he sat in front of three dirty and bloody children in an interrogation room. "Welcome to the Testing Center. You must pardon us for taking you to this room. You see, we are not like you Exiles and we have to ask you a few questions before admitting you into our city, permanently."


    "He scares me. You answer him," Catherine said as she held her brother''s arm and refused to look at the scientist.


    "Let us begin with the formalities, children. I am Doctor Jasper Gavin, one of the chief researchers of the city. What are your names?" the man asked.


    "My name is Edward and this is my younger twin, Catherine. She''s fine being called Cat. The boy to my left is my cousin, Vincent," Edward answered.


    "Wonderful. Wonderful," the man said as he wrote down their names on a laptop. "Do you know where you are?"


    "Black Gate City. My cousin led us here," Edward nodded.


    "Oh, he did? Vincent, how did you know to come here?" Dr. Gavin asked.


    "My father lives here," he said, stunning everyone.


    "Eh? He does? I thought you said he was dead," Catherine gasped.


    "If he came back and begged to be my dad, he would be," Vincent said darkly. "I only had my mother."


    "May I ask who he is?" the doctor asked.


    "No. I won''t tell you. I''d rather have no relations with the man," Vincent said. "I only came to this city because my mother would have wanted me to be safe. I also led my cousins or they would have died in the wilderness. That''s it."


    "What do you know of history?" the scientist asked.


    "I only know that we are Exiles, people who were born and raised outside the cities," Edward answered.


    "Some people turn into monsters if they get bit. It would be better if they did," Catherine trembled. "My mommy told me about the virus. The Catalyst Virus, she called it. I miss mommy....."


    "It''s okay," Edward said as the doctor gave him time to calm her down as she cried.


    "The Catalyst Virus. That is precisely what it is called. According to the ancient records, it all started in a lab back in the year 2419. Mankind finally found a cure for cancer, one that did not require surgery or chemotherapy afterwards. It was in its testing phases, waiting for approval by the International Board of Medicine and Narcotics. No one could have expected the virus to go wrong


    But it did and everyone and everything got infected. Half the population died within the first year, the infection spreading in all manner possible. Whether it was in the air, land, or water; you could not avoid getting infected. Most of the people who survived were immune. After five years of research, we discovered the rest of the survivors had compatibility with the virus. It changed them, but they remained human. Humans were born with a crystal core in our bodies after the year 2419, when the Catalyst Virus broke out.


    Thanks to research on the crystal core, humanity was able to discover its power and fight back. However, only 15% of the Earth is populated by humans now. Countries only exist on record. Truthfully, the city states we made are our own countries. We can only accept those we know will never become one of the monsters that tried to kill us. That is why you three, and a boy who was found immune. are here," Dr. Gavin explained.


    "So that''s why those bad men shot at the others," Catherine said.


    "They''re not bad men. They have just rejected so many Exiles that they have grown numb to the pain of guilt," the doctor sighed. "Humanity used to be the head of the pyramid. Now? Who can say?"


    "What happens to us now?" Vincent asked.


    "We get you three tested further. Depending on your results, you will get sent to an academy in five years to harness that power of yours, the ones in your crystal cores. The means to make most of our human technology was lost, but every city state was able to retain some of it. Otherwise, we would have no electricity, medicine, gasoline, and other technologies that make us better than primitive species," Dr. Gavin smiled. "Now, follow me."


    "What are we going to be tested on?" Edward asked as they followed him out the room.


    "First, you children need a good, thorough shower," the doctor said. "Once you''re done, then we''ll talk. Catherine, the shower is to your right. Gentlemen, to your left. Clothes of various sizes are available inside. All children of the city are tested at age ten."


    "What if they fail?" Edward asked.


    "Ah, they never do. If your parent was immune or compatible, you would be too. Otherwise, this city would be chaotic and the adults would be afraid to have children. The human population is barley one billion after who knows how many years," the scientist sighed.


    "Ah, to be clean again. Running water that I can take my time with," Edward sighed with relief as he stepped out the shower room with a white shirt and white pants.


    "At least you could. I had to use a bucket and douse myself over and over. I just had to get a deep scratch," Vincent sighed.


    "Nice and clean? Good. Come. First, we''ll take something called an X-ray. It will scan your body and see how it is faring on the inside. Then we awaken your crystal core," the doctor said.


    "Is it painful?" Catherine asked.


    "The X-ray is not. The crystal core might be as reactions upon awakening vary to a degree. Remember, during the X-ray, please remain still and calm. It will be over within a few minutes," the doctor said as he led them to a room. "See that large machine with the tunnel in it. A table will slide out, you lay back on it, and the table slides in. The roof and wall of the tunnel is curved and will scan your body. There may be an annoying sound and light will move up and down your body. This is normal."


    "This is weird," Catherine said as she shivered after the X-ray.


    "I thought it was okay," Edward said.


    "I really want to scratch my bandages," Vincent sighed.


    "If you were already awakened, then the wound have already begun regeneration and you would not have a scar," the doctor said. "You can think of the awakening as a process to evolve humanity into a higher species. We call those who can harness the power of the crystal core, Neo Sapiens."


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    "Not everyone can harness the power?" Edward asked. "Does that mean they can''t fight and use supernatural powers?"


    "In a sense, yes," the doctor nodded as they stepped into a large chamber. Several scientists, guards, and people wearing armor and robes all stared down at the three Exiles and the professor as they looked down from the second floor.  Catherine felt scared and hugged Edward''s arm as they approached a giant orb with four scientists inspecting it. The orb was the color of a ruby and contained a mysterious energy that swirled inside it.


    "We welcome the three Exiles to Black Gate City," the four scientists said as they saw the three orphans stare at them. "First, do you have any magical items or monster parts you wish to sell for our city''s currency? It will be added to your accounts after you are tested."


    "Edward and Catherine dumped a bunch of magical items from their backpacks, causing the people above to stir in an uproar! To think those little kids had so much treasures! They were sure there family had to to have been in the wilderness for many generations. They turned to Vincent to see what he would sell.


    "I only have this carcass. I killed it before I got here," Vincent said, the body of the four-eyed, two-tailed wolf dumped onto the ground. He had no plans to sell his Silver Thorn or the gourd. The gourd was special in that it could contain three types of liquids in a seemingly limitless amount as the space randomly enlarged over time. One special liquid was contained while the gourd also held a lot of fresh water. In the wilderness, fresh water was scarce due to monsters making nests near them.


    He also had his ring, but no one but him could tell it was magical. After all, a drop of blood on a non-magical item was the same as a drop of magical blood on a bonded magical item. If no one could sense the magic in it, no one would think twice about it. The crowd murmured as Edward revealed that he and Vincent already had weapons when the scientists offered to give them one if they were interested in a combat occupation if they qualified.


    "What were the results of their X-rays?" one of the scientists asked.


    "The girl has pink crystal core, her twin has a snow white crystal core, and their cousin has a grey crystal core," Dr. Gavin answered.


    "And the size?" they asked.


    "Each of them are the size of a thumb print," Dr. Gavin answered.


    "Good. Then they should have no problems being awakened," the scientists nodded.


    "Okay kids. Now I want you to listen very carefully. There is something Exiles don''t know about the crystal core inside of them. I want you to stay calm and listen to the words I am about to say, alright?" the doctor asked as he stared into their eyes. "I think it''s best to hold your twin''s hand as it might comfort her enough to listen to what I say."


    "Big brother?" Catherine asked as Edward held her hand and told her to be quiet for a bit. Vincent narrowed his eyes as he held the dragon tooth necklace around his neck, rubbing some of the wolf''s blood of it. Guards removed the carcass and items and began accounting the items to decide the cost.


    "Okay. You weren''t raised here so this will come as a shock. You see, the crystal core is your mutation. Humans who were not immune were supposed to become monsters. However,we had some rare traits that actually consolidated all of the virus in our body and formed the crystal core inside all of us. Only the immune are truly without cores but are also powerless before the monsters. Haven''t you ever wondered how, in rare moments, you were faster and stronger than before. Especially you, Vincent. How else would a child survive a mutated wolf? Your reflexes saved you in a heightened state," the doctor said.


    "So this awakening is to fully unlock that power?" Edward asked as he saw Vincent stare at his necklace, his expression darkening.


    "Yes. When you awaken the crystal core, you will see the mutation you were supposed to be. You must fight it. Take control of it. Otherwise, you become the very thing you have been escaping from your entire lives," Dr. Gavin said as he pointed at the guards. They all watched as a guard made an incision on the chest of the wolf and pulled out a crystal orb that emanated a flame like energy.


    "That is inside every human not immune to the virus. Crystal cores are orbs of power. What kind depends on the person in question. The mutation always asks you which path you wish to take. There are five paths and you must give up one path to specialize in another. The other three paths of power will grant you those powers over time. All you need to do now, is touch that giant crystal core," Dr. Gavin said as he pointed at the crimson orb. "That is one of the first one hundred found before control of the world was lost to humanity. Very few cities have an orb like this. Our cities are the ones with the most responsibility as we are the ones to awaken the crystal cores of others. Now, touch the orb and awaken your power. Do not fight the energy that comes from the orb. Let it in and make it flow to the crystal core inside you. If you have a bonded weapon, it is best to hold it to help you. The girl will follow you after we give her a suitable weapon."


    "It''s a whole new world out there. You ready for it?" Edward asked his cousin as he brought out his spear, Frost Bite.


    "Yeah. It''s time we stop running," Vincent said as he let go of his necklace and took out Silver Thorn.


    "Those are powerful weapons. Where did they find those?" the people above murmured as the two boys walked up to the giant, crimson orb and placed their palms on it. The mysterious energy entered their hands and they sat down and closed their eyes, laying their weapons on their laps as they let it flow to their crystal cores.


    "What happens now?" Catherine asked as she stared at her cousin and brother.


    "Now, we wait and see what happens," Dr. Gavin said.


    "This power.....if I could harness it, could I avenge my mother?" Vincent thought as the energy reached his grey crystal core and his vision went dark.

 Chapter 2: Trial by Dreams

    Chapter 2: Trial by Dreams


    "What''s happening to them?" Catherine asked as she saw her twin and cousin sit on the ground. They looked like they were burning. Edward was covered in white flames while Vincent was covered in grey flames. It seemed their crystal cores resonated with the mysterious energy and manifested the flames.


    "This is the ritual known as the Phoenix Dream Trial. Mankind was not meant to have the power within the crystal cores. That orb of power belonged to a peacock that mutated while the virus was first experimented with. Naturally, the peacock was killed, but some of the experiments escaped and caused the disaster we live fighting from everyday," Dr. Gavin smiled. "You have a pink core so pink flames will appear around you. The crystal core will change into its true form as an orb of power, with the shape and color changing. You''ll join them shortly once we find you a suitable weapon to assist you."


    "Um, okay. I''ll be back guys," Catherine said and followed Dr. Gavin outside to the armory.


    ------------Vincent''s Mind---------------


    Is this a dream? Where am I?


    "You are where you must be," a voice answered.


    What? Who are you? What are you? How can I hear you in my head?


    "I am merely a shell of what I once was. My power burns inside you to awaken your own. You can say, I was one of the first generations of the infected, the Mazoku humans call us," the voice replied.


    Mazoku? I don''t understand. What''s happening?


    "You are entering a dream-like state. Through me, you are connecting with your crystal core and awakening its true form as your orb of power. The crystal core is like a shell, a defense mechanism meant to keep you from becoming a Mazoku. Making it your orb of power is to discard some of your humanity to fight back and absorb the orb of power from Mazoku beasts you slay," the voice said. "You may refer to me as the Phoenix of Beginning and End. This is your end as a human and your beginning as something more. Something stronger, faster, and better than a human. It is the next step of natural selection. You must choose between five paths of power. One will be one you specialize above all others. One you must sacrifice to use any of those powers. The remaining three will come to you, in time."


    Five paths? Five types of power? What are those powers?


    "You will go through five dreams and experience the nightmare based on the result. You will naturally know the meaning behind the dreams. Some are figments of imagination. You will see people you have met or will meet in the future. Are you prepared? Focus on yourself. You brought your sword with you. Imagine yourself wielding that sword. It is meant to be a reminder that you are within the dream. Should you forget who you are, you become a Mazoku and the people of reality will slay you. Good luck. Oh, and thank you for the dragon tooth. It will burn to ash and will help solidify your mind," the phoenix said.


    Wait! That''s mine! You can''t take it from me! No! Give it back!


    -----------Within the Dream----------------


    "NOOOOO!" Vincent cried as he appeared in his white clothes from the Testing Center.


    He looked around and saw ruins everywhere. His eyes widened as he saw a broken house with red tiles while all the other houses had blue or green tiles. Blood was being washed away as rain sprinkled from the skies. He could feel the puddles soak his feet as he walked toward the house in his white, plastic slippers.


    The door broke in an explosion as a small, sand and dark brown colored dragon baby appeared. It bared its fangs at him before quickly sprinting away into the distance. Vincent want to give chase. He knew this was a dream. No, a nightmare. This was a scene he could never forget. Trembling, he gripped the sword so tight and caused his knuckles to turn white as he walked into the broken house.


    The rain doused his head and his hair became heavy as it soaked onto his skin. Each step made his heart beat strongly, as if a man was banging on the taiko drum next to his ear at a Japanese festival. His breath became heavy and his ears started to ring as he saw a little boy with black hair and blue eyes cradling the head of a woman. He was staring at himself, at a younger Vincent Turner. His mother was Jennifer Turner. This dream was the nightmare he experienced almost every night since that day.


    "Mommy? Mommy. Don''t cry. You said people shouldn''t cry or the Mazoku will snatch them from their beds," Little Vincent cried as he kept brushing the water from his mom''s face. "It''s gonna be okay. Daddy won''t come but I''m here. That dragon was only a Thorny Devil, a sand lizard I found. Don''t cry mommy. It''s gone. It''s gone....."


    The boy didn''t know if his shivering was caused by his grief or rain, but he yelled, "I HATE HIM! I hate daddy! He was never here! He could have saved us! I am not Vincent Edris Yang. I am just Vincent Edris Turner. I don''t have a father! I don''t! So come back mommy....come back. Please don''t leave me alone. Please........"


    "This is the first trial. This is no dream. It''s a nightmare," Vincent said as he fell to his knees.


    Yes. This is the nightmare of the first trial. The first trial is always the greatest pain you experienced before attempting the ritual. This dream''s path of power, do you know what it is?


    "How could I not?" Vincent said as tears went down as his eyes. "Every time I wake up from this nightmare, I always wished I was stronger. That I could have protected my mother! That I had enough power to not hide in that dirty locker as my pet Thorny Devil lizard mutated and killed her. That I had the power to beat up my father and ask him why he abandoned us before cutting off his head!"


    Indeed. The path of power is symbolized by a six-eyed jaguar. Choosing this path is to strengthen your body past human limits. To be stronger, faster, and own superior reflexes than your enemy. To have a body with a physique comparable to a Mazoku. This is the path of a beast. Now is the time to witness the second dream.


    "What is this place?" Vincent asked as he appeared in village. His eyes widened as he saw Mazoku wolves growl at him, blood dripping from their fangs.


    He yelled in surprise and ran toward the wolves. Strangely, they just stood there as he slashed at them with his sword. He heard pleas and cries but ignored them. They sounded human but the wolves were Mazoku. They had to be killed or he would be. His clothes became soaked in crimson as Silver Thorn flashed under the sun as it cut through the wolves.


    He saw people turn to him as they were turning into wolves. He had lived as an Exile all his life. He knew they were no longer human and quickly killed them as they turned. He had seen adults kill other humans most of his life, killing any who were infected and were in the midst of turning. Mercy only got more killed and infected others. No one would know if they were immune or compatible unless they got bit first.


    "Don''t kill me!" a little girl screamed as she crawled backwards on the ground as he stared down at her. "I''m still human."


    "Better to die a human than one of them. You''re not real anyway," Vincent said and she screamed as he killed her and yelled at the sky. "What is the point of this? All I did was kill Mazoku? I just used my weapon to kill them. Is this dream supposed to faze me? I''ve seen it all before."


    You have experienced much, as a child. However, what if this was real? What if this was a reality you had to face in the future. Would you kill them all in cold blood as you did before, knowing what they once were? Who can say that the wolf you killed, as you escaped to the city, was not human once? Would you still make the same choice?


    "I....don''t know," Vincent said as he stared at Silver Thorn covered in black and crimson blood, the blood of a human and a Mazoku over ten years old.


    This is the second trial, the path of the knight. Your weapon could be used to save others or massacre them. It is guided only by your hand. This path is symbolized by a sword and is one that prioritizes strength, both physical and mental. The weapon is only as mighty as the will that guides it. Now, for the third dream.


    "Vincent, keep your shield up and pierce those soldiers!" a man cried as Vincent appeared as an older version of himself wearing steel armor and a round shield with Silver Thorn at his waist. "We must defend our people! We may die this day, but we die knowing we did what we could for our country!"


    "Argh!" Vincent grunted as a sword bashed against his shield. He looked at the spear in his hand and just thrust it at whoever was hitting him.


    "Hold the line! Do not let them through!" the man cried as Vincent and the others tried to maintain formation.


    "The enemy is using their catapults!" a soldier cried and a huge boulder just crushed Vincent and three nearby soldiers in an instant. Vincent became a ghost and watched as the enemy broke through and killed the other soldiers as they advanced over the wall. Siege ladders landed against the roof and more enemy soldiers passed by.


    Well, you died. Of course, you didn''t feel the pain. This is a scene from your possible future. It won''t be exactly alike and your enemy might not necessarily be human. However, an enemy will try to scale the wall and invade the city. Do you know what this scene symbolizes?


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    "Loyalty and duty unto death. An undying will to defend others," Vincent said as the wall was finally overrun.


    Indeed. The power of the third path is one of defense. You will be as a shield, protecting your allies as you repel the enemy. This is the path of a guardian, symbolized by the shield. You will be as an invincible fortress against physical and magical assaults. There are two more paths.


    "Huh? Why am I here?" Vincent asked as he became a student in a classroom in a student uniform. "What am I wearing? Why do we all look alike?"


    "Something wrong, Vincent?" a middle-aged woman asked as she adjusted her glasses and waved a strand of black hair away from her face. "Do you perhaps know the answer to my question?"


    "Uh," Vincent gaped.


    "It appears my lecture woke up Vincent from his nap," the teacher said as nearby students giggled. "As I was saying, magic is a power granted to us by our orbs of power. There are many names for it, such as mana, qi, chi, or spirit power. Magic is a very difficult power to grow but its potential is limitless. It is akin to having powers of a god."


    Now it should be obvious what this is. This is the path of a mage, a human who can use the power of his orb to create magic. It is symbolized by the staff and requires much training to master. Those who specialize in this path will use magic unlike any other. There is one final dream and you must make your choice then.


    "What''s wrong Vincent? Why are you banging your body on the wall?" a voice laughed as Vincent appeared in a ruined castle. He yelled in pain as his body was blasted into the wall several times, as if an invisible hand was smashing a rock on the ground. The wall cracked and Vincent coughed blood as he fell to the ground. He yelled in pain as he heard something crack but could not move his body.


    "Where is he?" Vincent thought as he couldn''t see him.


    "Here, there, and everywhere. You can''t hide your thoughts from me," the voice mocked.


    "Stop it!" Vincent cried as his body was flung into the air and crashed on the ground again.


    "What''s wrong? Can''t move? Don''t worry. I''ll help you," the voice laughed and Vincent''s body stood up without his control. His arms held his waist and flapped as his knees bent. Vincent never felt more humiliated. He was doing the chicken dance he read about in a book!


    "Buck. Buck! Cock-a-doodle-do! It''s the chicken dance time!" the voice roared with laughter until Vincent''s body was crushed into a puddle of blood. "That was fun. Now, where are other toys?"


    "What was that?" Vincent roared as he appeared as a ghost and looked down at the puddle of blood, able to see the blood as his transparent hand could not even touch it as he waved his hand in it.


    This is the fifth power. It is one most don''t really pick as magic has more uses. Do you know what it is?


    "He could see my thoughts. He could move me without physically doing so. Is this supernatural power?" Vincent asked.


    Indeed. This is like being a psychic. He used telepathy to read your mind and telekinesis to control your body as he would a puppet on strings. This is the path of a shaman. It is symbolized by a jade talisman.


    "So what now?" Vincent asked.


    You have witnessed the five dreams and nightmares. Trauma, murder, death, embarrassment, and helplessness with a touch of humiliation. The five paths are now open to you. You may only touch two of the items as they appear before you. You will pick one to specialize and another for you to give up. The one you specialize in is one you will master the most. You can only perform the basics of the other three until its true power is open to you. Don''t expect much from those three paths until then. As an Exile, you will have access to those powers up to a certain level. You should already know you Exiles are different than those sheltered humans of the city. This is my gift to all Exiles. Praise me. HAHAHAHAHA!


    Vincent was thrust in front of an altar in a completely white room that seemed endless. White tiles were on the floor and the five items were atop five Roman pedestals. The items were a six-eyed jaguar, a sword with an aura of blood, a golden shield as radiant as the sun, a black staff that caused Vincent to shiver with fear, and a jade talisman. Vincent already knew what path to specialize in as the lack of the path''s power traumatized him: the path of the beast. The jaguar had two regular eyes with two smaller eyes located on both sides of the head, next to the eyes.


    "I wish to specialize in the path of the beast," Vincent said.


    Are you sure? Most would pick warrior, mage, or guardian. Then again, they did not cause their mother''s death. Very well. The power of the beast is yours to take. Now, pick a path of power to sacrifice and never attain.


    "The path of the knight. I want revenge. For both the death of my mother and the betrayal by my father. To kill the dragon and atone my sin. To not hate myself every night for bringing that lizard home because it looked cool. If I had asked my mother, instead of sneaking it with me, it wouldn''t have happened.I''d only hate my father. I don''t need physical and mental strength as I chose the path of the beast. I don''t want to depend on a weapon to attain power and I am not so foolish as to sacrifice defense. I need to make sure I can stay alive until I get it. I may not be as physically powerful or courageous, but I will be pretty damn close on my own," Vincent growled.


    Just like your Mazoku self. You know, you would have turned into that six-eyed jaguar if you weren''t compatible with the virus. As you''ve picked the path of the beast, a silver colored tattoo of a six-eyed jaguar will be on your back. Your orb of power is a sphere with one hundred and eight spikes around it, like a spiked ball. It''s true color is silver, like your sword. You should know that magical and supernatural powers are difficult to wield together. Very few have been able to achieve it.


    When you awaken from the dream, a jade medallion with single one of my crimson feathers will around your neck, the tip of the feather a myriad of all colors of the rainbow. Both your cousins have already succeeded and have received different gifts from me. Take care, Silver Exile. Revenge can destroy yourself just as much as it will your enemy. This is my warning to you. Darkness and light is in your heart. Do not let the balance be broken.


    ---------------Awakening from the Dream---------------------


    "Vincent!" Catherine cried as she hugged her cousin.


    "That hurts," Vincent said as he pushed her away and saw the phoenix jade medallion on his neck. It was as if the the feather belonged to a tiny phoenix and were both vibrant and soft. They were strung above a jade coin about an inch and a half in diameter and had many intricate carvings on both sides and a hole in the center.


    "And here I was wondering if you had failed," Edward grinned as he helped his cousin to his feet. "The first trial must have been terrible."


    "It was but it helped remind me of my goal," Vincent said and saw Dr. Gavin stare at him. Vincent''s shirt had been burned off and a silver, six-eyed jaguar tattoo was on his entire back.


    "We have seen your dreams, boy. You truly suffered a horrible past," Dr. Gavin said as he pointed at the giant orb of power, Vincent catching images of himself choosing the six-eyed jaguar. "While we could not hear what transpired, we know your mother must have died due to the dragon. You were telling the truth. I am sorry for your loss. For the record, I would like you all to state your full name, the path you chose, and the path you sacrificed."


    "Edward Jones Turner. The path I chose was the path of the knight and I gave up the path of the shaman," Edward said, many people approving of the choice as it was the standard and most popular choice.


    "Um, Catherine Melissa Turner. I chose the path of the mage and gave up the path of the shaman," his twin said as she stared at the floor due to being shy in front of too many people.


    "Vincent Edris Turner. I chose the path of the beast and gave up the path of the knight," the last of the three said, many murmuring as it was unusual for one to pick the path of the beast. Some people did have the paths of mage and shaman but most just chose to specialize in one and regret not choosing the other as the sacrificial path.


    "Very good. This concludes the tests of the Testing Center. You will have identification cards handed to you shortly. When you turn fifteen, a picture will be included in it like all the other children," Dr. Gavin smiled.


    "What now," Vincent said as Edward and Catherine also looked at the doctor.


    "You have until the age of fifteen to adjust your body to your orb of power. In the meantime, you will learn about our city and go to school with all the others. You will have the same teacher, but the subjects you learn are what the teacher decide. There''s really no set schedule for each subject. They will teach multiple subjects, like an elementary teacher. I welcome you as official residents of Black Gate City," the doctor bowed as all the people above also nodded their heads in turn.

 Chapter 3: A Fresh Start

    Chapter 3: A Fresh Start


    "Dr. Gavin, enlighten us on what transpired today," a voice asked as Dr. Gavin sat in his office facing a wall with nine giant screens, each completely black and with a Roman numeral at the center of each screen.


    "It is an honor to speak with the nine powers of the world," Dr. Gavin said. "As you are aware, I am the head scientist of the Testing Center, the headquarters of the world''s scientific research on Mazoku. Four Exiles came to Black Gate City, three of them compatible with the virus."


    "Why were we to be notified?" a voice from the screen with the Roman numeral 4, IV, asked. "They are just Exiles. Nothing more. Sure, some are powerful, but that matters not. They are all just good seeds."


    "What if I were to tell you that all three of them had all five paths available? What if I were to tell you that even though there should not be signs of the powers of the three other paths, those three children could already harness some of their powers?" Dr, Gavin grinned.


    "Impossible. They cannot access the powers of the other three paths until they awaken. Maybe one, two at most, would appear at the bare minimum. Are you saying all three of the other paths can already be harnessed? To what level?" the screen with the number 8, XIII, asked. What are their names?"


    "Edward Jones Turner, Catherine Melissa Turner, and Vincent Edris Turner. All three of them have the potential to use their powers above the bare minimum. How far along, it is premature to make a valid evaluation," Dr. Gavin said.


    "Turner. Didn''t know there were some Exiles who had family names...." the screen with the number 7, VII, said as the others were heard discussing with other people who were present.


    "They are, as the fourth power said, good seeds. Still, I would ask the doctor to watch over their progress. I believe it is also premature for us to make a decision to recruit the children," the screen with the Roman numeral 1, I, said.


    "Yes, that is true. In any event, are there other children who displayed any similar talents? Perhaps one from the noble clans?" the screen with the Roman numeral 9, IX, asked.


    "None in my city. I will ensure the three children receive acceptable training until they come of age," Dr. Gavin bowed as all but the third numbered screen cut the connection.


    "Dr. Gavin, make sure the two boys decide a combative occupation. I don''t care if they join my forces or not. Exiles are different. Most are weak, but three of the same family having compatibility to the virus? They are sure to be strong. Also, one of the other eight powers might be trying to find out what we are doing in Black City. Take extra precautions with the new hands that are available," the voice from the screen warned.


    "Of course. As always, I am extremely grateful for the anonymous funds and material donated for the research. I will not betray our expectations," the doctor said as the final screen lost connection and caused all nine screens to return to displaying various images of the security cameras all over the Testing Center.


    ----------------The Turner Family-----------------


    "Wow! This is our new home?" Catherine beamed as she and her two remaining relatives arrived in front of a white marble wall with a golden gate at the center. They had waited for Dr. Gavin to drive them as he was gone for an hour.


    "This is actually the academy. You will be living in the dorms. Upon the age of ten, all children live in the academies of each of the eighteen districts. Black Gate City is the largest and most secure city in the world as it is the headquarters of the most advanced scientific research on the Mazoku," Dr. Gavin said as he looked out the driver''s seat of his Chinese car.. "Many outsiders dream of living in this city but only Exiles can easily become citizens as they paid for it with their very lives. People who were born in other cities? They had to be prodigies in their occupations to live here. Now, you will live in separate dorms with three other people and a butler or maid. Worry not, I made sure to have you three attend the same teacher for class. Rest tonight and enjoy living as a human in modern society. Well, modern for us anyway. Our technology is not as great as it had been many centuries ago. This academy is in the district most Chinese live in. It is an ethnicity of forgotten time but the culture and traditions remain. Don''t worry. Other people of different ethnicity live and go to school here."


    "Thank you," Edward said and was the first to go in, excited as three guards arrived to take them to their dorms. "See you tomorrow guys. We can sleep on clean beds and without fear of an attack. This is great."


    "I can take a regular shower," Catherine grinned and eagerly followed the female guard to her own dorm.


    "You are about month late, but you will do fine," the guard said as he led Vincent to a large, five-story pagoda. "Your room is the entire third floor. There is a full bathroom, theater room, bedroom, living room, and half of the floor is a training hall.  This academy is highly exclusive. You must have made quite the impression to attend the academy."


    "Thank you for leading me here," Vincent said as he touched the healed scar on his left cheek in front of the ear. Due to awakening his orb of power, his wound healed but the scar remained as it had happened before his awakening. Such a wound wouldn''t scar him anymore, but the scar was faint and the skin was smooth. It only looked like a scar now.


    "It is my job. Now, your first day of school is tomorrow. It may seem soon, but you are a month late. Your teacher is the same for all subjects, but your combat lessons will be dependent on the path you chose and gave up. An expert of each of the five paths will assist your teacher during your combat lessons. There is an ancient saying that knowledge is power. There is no greater fountain of knowledge than Black Gate City''s Testing Center and the eighteen academies.


    You are in the third ranked academy of the eighteen, but one with the closest ties to the Testing Center. If you choose an intellectual occupation, this is the best academy for you. My name is Jian Zhu. Mr. Zhu is fine. I''m told my son is in your class and he lives on the fourth floor. If you need any questions, feel free to ask me or Xin. Welcome to White Dragon Academy," the guard said and the two shook hands before Vincent saw him leave.


    "The third floor," Vincent said as he held a dragon shaped key and walked up the pagoda. He immediately unlocked and locked the room behind him. He was too tired and fell asleep. As he did, his orb of power made the final changes to his body. His muscles became leaner and stronger. A silver energy spread from the spiked orb and strengthened his muscles and organs. When Vincent awoke, even his sky blue irises had a tinge of white silver close to the pupils.


    "Another cold shower," Vincent sighed with relief as he stepped out in his uniform. Apparently, the doctor had made very fast arrangements and even had twenty sets of his uniform for him in the dressers. His uniform consisted of a white shirt and khaki cotton pants one would wear in a dojo. Both had an emblem of a white and gold dragon somewhere visible. Vincent kept the medallion and silver ring on and wore a white leather jacket with a checkered line across the center of the unzipped jacket. The jacket was one his mother claimed belonged to her father. Once he got older, he would have another one made. As he put on his black and crimson laced running shoes, he left the pagoda and saw three other kids at the dining table on the first floor with a butler smiling at him.


    "Greetings, Master Turner. I am George Hunt. I am the butler of you four students here," the old man smiled as he gestured to an empty seat with pancakes, eggs, bacon, and stripped hash browns in front.


    "You must have met my dad. I am Xin Zhu," a boy grinned with small eyes and a muscular physique laughed. "Everyone does."


    "I''m Shigure Hamada. Nice to meet you," a Japanese boy nodded as he stabbed his pancakes. "An Exile in our pagoda. Glad it''s not a noble."


    "True that man," a red-haired kid grinned. "My name is Nick Van. We know you are an Exile as either an Exile or a noble would transfer so late. Unfortunately, me and Shigure are already fourteen. It''s our last year here. If you need any help, just tell us. Even if our dorm is only four people, we have a lot of talent. Otherwise, a noble would complain about his room not being as big and nice as ours. HAHAHAHAHA!"


    "We''re all commoners," Xin answered as Vincent stared at him. "We got here through our own talent and hard work. My dad loves me too much and had to go through so many trials to get a job as a guard here. After all, the Testing Center is closest to our academy."


    "It''s also the only academy of the top five not prejudiced against commoners. Even if the nobles are extremely talented, they would be severely punished for attacking a commoner," Shigure said as Nick ran out of the pagoda as he stared at the clock. "Nick and I got early morning practice. See you guys later."


    "Wicked scar. Was it a Mazoku?" Xin asked as the two boys ate and thanked George before leaving for class.


    "Yeah. A four-eyed Mazoku wolf with twin tails. It was a juvenile," Vincent nodded. "I killed it though. I got the money for it in my black satchel."


    "I would have wanted to see a Mazoku but nice," Xin said as he had a green belt. Apparently, his storage item was a belt while Vincent wore the strap of his black satchel over his shoulder. "Was it just you?"


    "My twin cousins came with me," Vincent said.


    "Oh no. This is bad," Xin said as he pointed to a crowd of kids in front of a blonde-pony-tailed teacher as they stood in front of a large, marble building. "That''s our teacher, Ms. Mu. If she''s outside, that means we got combat class. So not good. It''s Monday. Combat class on Mondays and Fridays are for the whole day."


    "Ah, here comes the last two students," Ms. Mu said as Xin and Vincent arrived. "Beside Xin is the last of the three Exiles who has transferred to our class. His name is Vincent Turner. Now, let us be off to the coliseum. The five trainers are waiting."


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Y~es," the students groaned. It was obvious they hated combat classes on Mondays.


    "I''m Edward and this is my younger twin, Catherine," Edward said as the two tins walked with Xin and Vincent.


    "I''m Xin Zhu. I live in the same pagoda as Vincent," Xin said.


    "Why is everyone so scared today?" Catherine asked as she hugged her brother''s arm.


    "Whole day combat classes are brutal. You''ll see. Only the upperclassmen like combat classes that are the whole day. As we are first years, ten year old kids. Thus, we have a random day of combat classes, between Mondays and Fridays. Second, third, and fourth year students take the three days between. The fifth year students have combat class on either Monday or Friday. As we have Monday this week, they have Friday. All classes of each year train together in the coliseum. It allows us to interact and connect with others. Weekends are our free days. You are not obligated to go to class, but you can''t skip out on combat class," Xin said.


    "You can skip class? I won''t. I always wanted to be a regular kid," Edward said as Catherine nodded in agreement.


    "You can, but if you want a combative occupation, it is best to learn stuff from the books in the library and train on your own. If you head to the training halls all over campus, the teachers there can guide you. I do it all the time. I plan on being a fighter. Which occupation, my old man said we all learn it when we are in our last year," Xin shrugged.


    "Training on my own? Learning from experts?" Vincent asked as Xin grinned and nodded. "I''ll do that too."


    "Cool! We can be dojo traveling brothers. We can pick up tips from the experts. I''ll also take you to the Exhibit Hall. All the fighting styles of the world are there. I don''t like the style I picked up last week and my dad said it''s also not suitable for me. I''ll take you there tomorrow before we visit a dojo," Xin smiled. "Course you will be Second Brother and I''ll be Eldest Brother. Yeah. That''s right. I can tell you are Chinese. You look like one. From your mom?"


    "My dad, but I''d rather not talk about my dad," Vincent said and Xin nodded, seeing that maybe Vincent had a bad history. Otherwise, why would he have the same family name as his cousins?


    "It''s time for a fresh start, Vincent. Like my dad always said: Let go of the past and seize the future. Live for today and strive for a better tomorrow. The past can''t be wound back anyway. Cheer up," Edward said but his cousin remained silent as they gathered in a large coliseum.


    A total of twenty first year classes had arrived, the largest number. With every year, the number of classes dropped as it was very difficult in their academy and some students chose to transfer for easier progress. One hundred experts arrived, five going before each class. Ms. Mu told them all to sit down and await their instructions.


    "Class, as you know, it is Monday and the first years were randomly selected to have their combat class today. For the sake of the three Exiles who transferred, allowed me to go over how our combat class works," Ms. Mu said as the five experts nodded and gazed upon three unfamiliar faces. "Our combat class focuses on teaching the basics of fighting to you kids and requiring you to have a fit body in the event that the city is attacked. No city is forever invincible. Thus, we train you young people until the age of fifteen. If you choose to continue living a life of combat, you can decide now and the experts will increase your training to assist you in passing that occupation''s prospect exam. Catherine, can you tell me the names of the five paths of power?"


    "Um, it is beast, knight, guardian, mage, and shaman," Catherine said as she counted with her fingers.


    "Correct. Each path has its advantage and disadvantage. Choosing to go down one path only is the easiest to master, but limits your potential the most. You three Exiles are exceptionally powerful. You already have access to the three other powers, numbering the complete four. I don''t know how far you can master those three paths as they are currently dormant and can''t unveil their true power. Still, you three are quite talented," Ms. Mu beamed with pleasure as the experts and other students stared between her and the three Exiles in shock.


    "You must definitely pick a combat occupation. Your potential would be wasted if you don''t. You might even have an easier time being accepted by the nine most powerful organizations of the world," one of the experts said as the other four nodded in unison.


    "What is the paths you specialize and which did you sacrifice?" Ms. Mu asked.


    "My twin and I sacrificed the shaman path. I chose the knight path and my sister chose the mage path," Edward said as a muscular man with a scar down his neck shouted with approval as a red-haired woman nodded as she stared at Catherine.


    "I chose the beast path and sacrificed the knight path," Vincent said. Most students looked at him as they had all given up on the shaman path as they preferred magic. After all, controlling the elements was every kids fantasy.


    "Come again?" one of the five, a short man with lean muscles and long black hair asked as he looked at Vincent. "You did not sacrifice the shaman path?"


    "No. I aim to use both the powers of a mage and shaman to assist me as I wield my sword. I want to depend on my own power and not my weapon. That''s why I sacrificed the knight path," Vincent said.


    "You finally have someone to teach," a large man with a long beard laughed. "The beast path is the way to go kid. Physical strength? Too much of that kills your flexibility, speed, and reflexes. The body is the foundation. You and Xin are the onyl ones who chose the beast path of this class. There are a few others. Come, I will teach you two boys. My name is Ming Tang. Old Gao Ji will also come with us as he will teach you about your psychic power and talismans and all that voodoo stuff. The powers of the mage and guardian path can wait. You can actually learn those on your own."


    "Voodoo? Would you like me to control your body as a puppet again?" Gao warned as Ming just laughed and led the two boys away from the others.


    "Which one is the most talented between you three?" Ming asked as Xin and Gao looked at him.


    "Edward is. However, I''ve never lost a spar against him. I''ve always been the better fighter," Vincent answered.


    "Heh. Good. You two will be physically training far harder than any other kids who chose the other four paths. It will be hell. There is no other word for it. As I and Gao have no other students. We can just teach you everyday until you turn thirteen. We can also give you advice on the other paths from our own experiences. What do you say?" Ming asked.


    "We can be the personal students of an expert, you with two. This is awesome. I mean, I''ll learn the shaman path too, as I gave up magic," Xin said. "We don''t have to go looking for dojos, or look for an awesome fighting style to master, but we can choose to now."


    "Learning from experts everyday for three years. Training harder than all others with the greatest results. How can I not?" Vincent grinned.


    ------------Three years later------------------


    "You''re gonna lose today Second Brother," a tall youth grinned as he brandished his twin swords.


    "Xin, don''t make me laugh," Vincent grinned as he wielded Silver Thorn. Both boys were already five feet seven inches at thirteen with a lean, muscular build. One boy had dark brown skin and brown eyes while the other had raven-black hair and sky blue eyes with a tinge of white silver. Both were half naked and sparks flew as their swords clashed. As Vincent had grown taller, Silver Thorn was no longer a sword that had to be wielded with two hands. Now, it was truly the length of a regular, one-handed sword.


    A man laughed as he saw a boy with a six-eyed, silver jaguar tattoo fought another with an emerald two-headed tortoise tattoo. As their blades nicked each other, the man watched as their wounds regenerated quickly. Such was the advantage of the beast path. He clapped his hands as both boys had their swords on the others neck.


    "A draw?" Xin grinned as he saw a drop of blood fall down Vincent''s neck.


    "I let you draw as your dad is watching," Vincent said as Xin shook his head, laughing.


    "Eldest Brother. Second Brother," two boys said as they bowed their heads at Vincent and Xin.


    "A fourth? You staying or leaving like the others?" Xin asked.


    "I just started this year. My name is Jing Zhou," the shaved boy with tattoos on his head grinned. "I have also chosen the beast path. Please take care of me."


    "Your best friend, the one who came to the city from another one?" Vincent asked Fang Tu as the latter nodded . Fang was also thirteen years old and the only one who did not transfer due to the rigorous combat classes since Vincent arrived. Fang and Jing were best friends since they were five. Jing used to live in Black Gate City but his father worked in another city and he had lived with him for three years before returning to live with his mother as his father got a job transfer back to Black Gate City.


    "Yeah. He chose the beast path like me. He aims to be a warrior monk and kept the shaman path and gave up the mage path," Fang nodded. "We''re both nobles, you know. We have restored copies from the ancient times and he loves reading wuxia novels with Shaolin monks and Wudang Sect martial artists."


    "Glad to have you aboard. Name''s Xin Zhu and this is Vincent Turner. You need anything, come to us. We are fourth year students. Very few fourth year students and only some fifth year students can match us in combat," Xin grinned. "Let''s go eat breakfast. George''s cooking is the best. Come too, dad. It''s your day off and it''s Sunday."


    "Alright, you rascal," Jian laughed as he followed the four boys into the pagoda for breakfast.

 Chapter 4: Combat Techniques

    Chapter 4: Combat Techniques


    "I heard the classes will be different this year," Xin said as he stabbed a fried egg.


    "Why?" Vincent said as he ate a piece of bacon.


    "You two training addicts. Eldest and Second Brother, our academy increased in rank and is now at second place! The principal wants to become number one. Since our school ranks second and is closely connected to the Testing Center, our academy has been accepting truly talented kids with monstrous talent or potential. Even some students from the number one ranked academy since the city''s founding, Black Sword Academy, transferred to our academy this year," Fang laughed.


    "What does that have to do with class?" Jing asked, as he had also just transferred but because of his father and Fang.


    "Everyday is combat class! Not the whole day, but every year gets two hours of it everyday. We still have the weekends to ourselves and people who desire different occupations can opt to have lessons on those instead. Unless you choose a different career in the future, combat class is mandatory," Fang sighed.


    "How will they evaluate our strengths?" Xin asked his father.


    "You''re all thirteen so I suppose it is time to reveal how people are categorized," Jian Zhu said as the butler nodded in agreement. "In the Chinese district we live in, we call the ranking by names once used long ago for fantasy books. However, it took over a century to analyze and accurately name the respective tiers. Using the concept of hot yang and cold yin, we classified the rankings and developed cultivation techniques that used them. Other districts and cities have their own methods."


    "Now, each stage have four phases, except for the first stage. These phases are initial, middle, late, and peak. You four are in the first tier known as the Power Concentration Stage. Like in the ancient stories, there are nine layers. The second stage is Earthly Fighter and the third stage is Heavenly Warlord. That is all you need to know for now. Just know that there are more," Jian said as he took out a red crystal. "Now this is an item that measures your soul force, the orb of power inside you. For the first stage''s nine layers, you reach the first layer if your soul force reaches the thousandth level. The first eight require one thousand while the ninth layer requires two thousand. In the end, you become an Earthly Fighter once your soul force reaches the ten thousandth level. I, myself, am a late Earthly Fighter. Now, let''s measure all your soul force."


    "Jing Zhou: soul force of 3,216. Feng Tu: soul force of 3,449. Both of you are at the third layer. This is good. You must be at the fifth layer to be talented enough to take the Prospect Exam for the various combat fighter occupations. That''s just two years away. Now, let''s see my son and Vincent. Xin Zhu: 4...4,107. Vincent Turner: 4....4,312?" Jian cried, shocked. "You''re both at the fourth layer?You said something yin and yang dad This is great! The higher the layer, the more dangerous, prestigious, and lucrative combat occupation you can get. You two are truly monsters indeed. If you and my son can reach the seventh layer before age 15, nearly impossible feat except for true talents; then this old man would be satisfied as all occupations would be open and even the nine powers of the world would recruit you. The experts training you for the past three years truly paid off."


    "You said something about yin and yang dad," Xin said.


    "Ah. You never really learned a combat technique as you constantly trained your bodies. Picking a combat technique pretty much determines how strong you will be. Every combat technique, or martial arts style, comes with its own cultivation method and stages of learning. I trust all four of you never picked a style yet?" Jian inquired as he looked at the four kids.


    "There were too many and I didn''t understand them," Fang said.


    "I was busy trying to find a suitable magical staff and working with my dad to buy one I can bind with my blood. Fake magical treasures are plentiful but real ones can be bound by blood," Jing sighed.


    "Vincent and I were busy with our hell training. I''m both happy and sad the Master Ming Tang and Master Gao Ji left to fight in a more dangerous town after the three years of training were over," Xin sighed. "They said not to pick a style until my second path of power awakened. For me, it''s the path of the knight that awakened. Vincent is the real monster as he already has access to all four paths of power."


    "Not at the same level as my cousin. He should be nearing the fifth layer, based on your dad''s crystal. I am only the better fighter as I have more combat experience," Vincent shrugged.


    "Now the style you pick is also influenced by which energy you cultivate. Your choices are hot, fiery yang or cold, icy yin. Some styles even require you to cultivate both and combine them later on to proceed further. Those are the greatest and most difficult to master," Jian said. "You four should go and pick a combat style today, before you start school tomorrow."


    "Yes, Guard Zhu," the three roommates said as Xin said, "Yes, father."


    "It''s a bit late, but we are finally here. Exhibit Hall," Xin cried as the four brothers, a term used for respect, arrived. The building was made of black steel and was actually a pagoda with ten floors. It was huge. The only things inside were fake magical treasures and combat techniques.


    "What''s that line for?" Vincent asked as he saw a long line on the other set of stairs at the western side of the pagoda.


    "Those stairs lead straight to the tenth floor. It is where we can get magical beasts. Of course, it is only in egg form and the magical beast could be anything, even a cat. Yeah, a cat. It''s a certain kind of magical item merchants of magical beasts use. The eggs are available to all. You just need to point and select it. Only one choice can be made. That''s it. If you want a different magical beast, you already wasted one of four you can bond with. Of course, the more you bond with, the more powerful you are as you absorb a piece of their soul power. However, it is best to get the three others from the wilderness. Buying four magical eggs, even two, is foolish," Jian said as he did not follow them as they headed up the stairs. "I can only escort you this far. I''ll wait for you all back at your pagoda. I''m going to exchange some stories with George over some bottles of wine."


    "I want one," Jing said, staring at the other set of stairs.


    "We''ll all go after we find a combat technique. It will be faster and the eggs won''t be going anywhere," Xin said and led the others up to the third floor. Xin had been here before and knew only paltry techniques were on the first two floors as they were primarily fake magical treasures.


    "Before you all go nuts, students can only take one combat technique at a time. However, we are allowed to take one magical rank treasure if we can reach the first stage of that combat technique while applying some knowledge of other combat techniques. The eighth floor has a couple of tables and chairs so we can all meet up with all the combat techniques that interest us and try to fuse them there. The more, the better but the difficulty gets higher," Xin said. "However, we can access the ninth floor and pick a magical treasure, or more, depending on the results. We also keep the book of the combat technique you used as the foundation. Progressing through the stages won''t be the same so be careful."


    "You know a lot," Jing said.


    "My dad works at the academy. Naturally, he will research all he can to guide me down the right path. If you fuse two techniques, you get one magic treasure. If you fuse three, then you get two treasures. The highest in history is the fusion of six. Still, my dad fused three and two is the limit for most people," Xin beamed with pride. "Good luck guys. Remember, the books are from the third to seventh floor."


    "Let''s go. We''ll find some together," Fang said as Jing followed him.


    Vincent sighed and started searching through the five floors. Most of the students bowed their heads to him as most of them were first through third year students. He would first judge the books and scrolls by title. Those contained in books are those created with the last three hundred years. The few scrolls he saw contained techniques past three hundred years. He collected four scrolls from the third through sixth floor. He decided to take the best book he could find from each floor and try his luck.


    As he got to the seventh floor, he browsed through the scrolls. He wanted to primarily learn the techniques within scrolls as they contained a movement skill, cultivation technique, and usually had more stages. The more stages a technique had, the more powerful the fighter after mastering the combat technique.


    As he looked around, he saw two scrolls covered in dust under the window. After wiping the dust, one scroll was the color of jade while the other was a inky black. He was about to grab the jade scroll when his hand landed atop a soft, smaller hand. Frowning, he looked to his right and saw a girl look back at him with medium brown eyes. She tried to intimidate him by releasing her soul force, but he was unfazed.


    "Fourth layer of the Power Concentration stage?" the girl gasped, their hands separating as she took a step back. "My name is Bing Fan. I have been searching for those two scrolls. As you have found them first, may I ask for one of them?"


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    "You know about these scrolls?" Vincent said, seeing how she wanted them so much.


    "Yes. The inky black scroll is a combat technique made by an ancestor who slew a two-headed, black tiger giant of the frost plains. The jade scroll is one an ancestor learned after studying and slaying a Mazoku qilin. Both scrolls contain very powerful techniques. You can say that my purpose in transferring here was to learn those scrolls," Bing said.


    "Qilin?" Vincent said as Bing had reached for the jade scroll first after he removed the dust from both of them. "You may have the inky black scroll."


    "You can''t study the jade scroll without consuming the blood of a Mazoku qilin, a giraffe infected by the virus and turned Mazkou. Very few survived in the zoo of the place the ancients called Los Angeles. You can''t learn the combat technique of the scroll without it," Bing said.


    "I happen to possess quite the sum," Vincent said, the identity of the mysterious liquid in his gourd revealed.


    "I see. Thank you," Bing said as she gained the other scroll. She was quite pretty and Vincent gave it to her as she did not withdraw information about the scrolls or attempt to trick him in any way.


    He walked beside Bing as they talked while heading to the eighth floor. They parted ways as he saw that the others were already at a table, studying the many books and scrolls before them. As he sat on the table, he stared at the four books and scroll in front of him. He learned that all the combat techniques were discovered after how certain types of Mazoku fight and incorporating it into human martial arts. The people who wrote the books and scrolls had to thoroughly study the Mazoku or killed enough to study them based on first hand experience.


    Golden Monkey Force: a combat technique revolving around the fighter''s limbs and using hot yang energy to harden and empower the fist with the might of the sun. Eight stages exist. Allows shamans to augment their fists, feet, elbows, and knees with telekinetic energy, improving the strength of the blow past the limit.


    Red Devil Strike: a combat technique discovered after fighting a human-shaped Mazoku. Condenses hot yang energy through out the body, concentrating it on the point of impact to blast through the defense of the enemy. Five stages exist. Allows mages the ability to fight at close combat.


    Savage Elephant Tusk: a combat technique fusing cold yin energy into an edged weapon. While incomplete, the technique would be easy to incorporate into others. Only three stages exist. Guardians can expect their blocks with their weapon to be as indomitable as the animal the Mazoku had once been.


    Iron Shark Skin: a combat technique revolving using the body as a weapon. Circulates cold yin energy and turns the body as dangerous as shark skin. Six stages exist. Fighters who walk the path of beasts can survive in land or sea.


    Thunder Clap Qilin: ancient combat technique of legend. Cultivates both cold yin and hot yang in harmony. The ancients said that thunder was the punishment the heavens. Thus, why not have a fighter combine the essence of fire, water, and lightning? Nine stages exist. Not limited to specialization of any of the five paths.


    "No wonder Bing wanted to learn this technique. It uses both yin and yang energy and realizes the full potential of the orb of power of any fighter," Vincent shouted, the students all shushing him for being too loud. All combat techniques share the very basics.


    All he needed to do was combine the basics of the combat techniques of the four books into the Thunder Clap Qilin technique. As two used yang and two used yin, it was a perfect balance. If he could fuse them successfully, he would pick one of his four treasures to be a short sword. He wanted to be a dual wielder with Silver Thorn and one shorter sword. He would use Silver Thorn for offense and use the shorter, single-edge weapon for speed and sealing enemy movement if they got too close to fully swing Silver Thorn at them.


    If he had to categorize the five combat techniques he chose, they were perfect. The combat techniques of the four books consisted of the four paths and improved his physical body while the combat technique of his scroll empowered hi soul force. His desire to fuse the four combat techniques into the Thunder Clap Qilin technique was truly too great to ignore. He would also get four magical treasures. His cousin already had many and was more talented than he was. Even if he was his cousin''s superior in battle, it was only a matter of time until he lost.


    After reading the five combat techniques, he kept the ancient scroll and moved to one of the isolated rooms in the pagoda. It was the only floor with rooms so as to provide privacy when the student tried the first stage of his or her desired combat technique. He sat in lotus position and closed his eyes, meditating according to the writing of all five techniques. The first stage was always the same, save for the energy one cultivated.


    White blue and red orange energy entered his body clashing as they reached his orb of power. All one hundred and eight spikes of the orb sparked as cold resisted heat and heat resisted cold. Vincent grit his teeth as he felt he was dowsed in freezing water one moment and laying atop a carpet of lit candles the next.


    As he specialized in the beast path, his body endured and constantly regenerated as it tore apart inside and out. Due to the guardian path, his body''s endurance grew stronger and stronger. Instead of tearing apart, his body actually improved. Due to the mage path, his body was able to assimilate the essence of water and fire and they gradually entered his orb of power. His body levitated of the ground due to his telekinetic power as a shaman.


    Half the room was lit with a warm light while the other half was darkened by a cold shadow. Yin and yang, dark and light, was in harmony and Vincent had become like the Earth between the moon and the sun. As a mage, he could use the elements. As a shaman, he could manipulate objects and even the elements he conjured. As a guardian, his body''s defense had improved dramatically and his body was closer to a Mazoku beasts than it had been.


    "The only thing to do now is drink qilin blood," Vincent said as he took out an orange guard from his black satchel. He manipulated the three storage chambers, putting the fresh water and empty chambers aside so he could drink the blood. He shuddered as he tasted the weird, black blood as it entered his mouth and went down his throat. He drunk seven mouthfuls before putting the gourd away and meditated again after he rinsed his mouth with some fresh water.


    His body shuddered as it absorbed the soul force within the blood. Mazoku blood was different than human blood as it contained soul force even after the host died. So long as the blood remained fresh, the soul force remained. He could feel his soul force grow, adjusting to the new enhancements of his body with ease. He didn''t notice it, but a strange energy transferred from the phoenix medallion into his orb of power. Just when he felt he could not contain the power, the orb of power suddenly settled and began to circulate yin and yang energy in his body. Within his orb of power, it contained lava in one half while the other half was an ocean so cold it had icebergs.


    "Success!" Vincent said. The first stage of the technique was making the foundation in the body to progress further. He took out Silver Thorn and imagined it flying before him. He laughed as it flew above his waist. He didn''t learn much magic as he focused on the path of the shaman and beast. His instructors also learned the guardian path as it was essential for a specialist, of either path, to learn in order to survive.


    As far as magic was concerned, he only cared about the element of lightning, water, and fire. Those who sacrificed the shaman path were fools as the shape of their magic was restricted. He could use telekinesis to fully manipulate it into any shape. That was what he read in several ancient books in the library. With enough mastery over fire, he could create lava. With enough mastery in water, he could create ice.


    "Yo! Finally done?" Xin laughed as Vincent appeared before them. "How many did you fuse?"


    "Five," he answered, stunning Jing and Fang as Xin nodded.


    "I fused five too. Jing and Fang fused three. See, we four brothers are talented! HAHAHAHA!" Xin said before his he stopped and his voice was full of tension. "Your twin brother and sister broke the record of six and fused seven. I only heard it just now. You were right about your brother. He broke to the fifth layer now. Your sister is still at the third layer though. I heard she is more of a support type of fighter and prefers healing to bloodletting."


    "Exiles are something else, but you guys trump those Exiles and are even related," Fang sighed as Jing nodded.


    "Some of the fifth year students might feel intimidated by you three. We better be careful and watch your back," Xin said as the four brothers by friendship took their desired scroll or book and headed to the ninth floor for their reward. Then, they would go to the tenth floor. Jing was very excited and was the first to run to the ninth floor.

 Chapter 5: Treasures and Luck

    Chapter 5: Treasures and Luck


    "Seems legitimate. Students Jing Zhou and Feng Tu are eligible to pick two magical treasures. Students Xin Zhu and Vincent Turner are eligible to pick four magical treasures. Impressive," a guard said as he had the four display the first stage of their combat techniques. "As it has been verified, you are now allowed to enter the ninth floor and keep the combat technique in your storage item. Remember, any attempt at theft will result in immediate capture and dismemberment on the first floor of the pagoda. You may now access the ninth floor."


    "Finally here. Four magical treasures. Which to pick?," Xin laughed maniacally as he looked around for something of interest.


    Vincent felt as light as a feather and his senses increased dramatically. If training down the four paths improved his technique and skills; then combat technique and cultivation improved his senses, soul, and power. If he had two things he needed, it was an off-hand weapon and a long range weapon. He would infuse his Silver Thorn with cold yin energy while he would infuse the off-hand with hot yang energy. A cold weapon to kill his enemy and compassion and an explosive weapon to stop and protect himself while fighting.


    It was too soon for him to fuse both into one outside his orb of power as even the inside is divided between hot lava energy and freezing ocean energy. If he learned a normal combat technique using yin and yang,  his orb of power would still have light and darkness but it would contain fire and a small lake. Fire and water. Lava and ocean. Light and darkness. That was the essence of yang and yin. He had to keep them separate for now or damage the meridians in his body, veins the body used to circulate the energy from the orb of power.


    "What is this white lamp?" Vincent asked a nearby guard as he felt drawn to an item on the shelf to his right.


    "You got a good eye. Within is a demon spirit. Ever heard of a genie? Well, demon spirits are like that. They are extremely valuable as they grant you an innate ability, one outside the five paths. You know how dragons breathe rivers of fire, ice, lightning, poison, or other elements? Well, this demon spirit grants you an ability similar to it. The most a person can have is one. Other than that, you have to depend on your martial arts, telekinesis, magical treasures, or magic. That lamp can store demon spirits. Best to keep it and the demon spirit until you understand what the innate ability is. It might even improve itself when you feed it a demon spirit trapped within another item. You don''t want to waste the one shot you got to gain an innate ability," the guard explained. "We are humans closest to being like Mazoku, evident by the crystal core or awakened orb of power. Wat they can do, we can too. We just have to train as power comes naturally to them just by feeding on others."


    "Thank you for the advice," Vincent bowed, allowed to put the lamp in his black satchel after the guard verified it as one of the four magical treasures he was eligible to pick. "Do you know where the weapons are located?"


    "Try the shelves to your left," the guard said as he pointed beyond the many rows of shelves around them. It was as if they were in a library of treasures instead of books.


    After following the direction, Vincent found many shelves with weapons. Several students nodded at him as he walked past him. He was pretty tall for thirteen and even some seniors did not make trouble for him. After testing the strengths of some bows, he picked a recurve bow with a weight of two hundred pounds. As a recurve bow, the wieght of the bow was the same weight as pulling the string back to half of its length before it cut in half as it reached a full draw. He knew he could only have picked the bow as he had walked the beast path.


    The bow was magical in that it could not be destroyed and could be shrunk to three inches in length. It also came with a quiver that had a single arrow in it. As he got stronger, he could increase the weight of the bow to make it even more deadly. The quiver also had the same ability and had an infinite supply so long as he injected the quiver with soul force. If he put an arrow of a different kind, he would be able to use two kinds of arrows of endless supply. Most people picked guns or crossbows as they required less training to master. The arrow he found had an oak shaft, black feathers and an arrowhead made of sharpened diamond. After verifying it with a guard, he bound it to his soul as well as the lamp before putting them in his black satchel.


    He would not talk about the lamp and used his Exile ability to hide it from any possible sense in his black satchel. If someone searched him for it, they would not detect it as it would be as a regular lamp. He made a mental note to tell his teacher to add archery to his training regiment during combat class. He already knew barehanded martial arts and would use the Golden Monkey Force technique to fight.


    The third treasure he picked was a sword with a blood red blade a little shorter than Silver Thorn by half a foot. The sword was incomparably sharper and thicker than Silver Thorn. It could actually damage magical weapons that were not indestructible. It perfectly replaced his lack of a shield or fighting power that suited guardians and knights. With his Savage Elephant Tusk technique, he was sure to block with the short sword. He decided to call it Blood Dragon Fang, as its blade was shaped like a scimitar and the blade was the color of blood.


    After binding it, it became a blood colored tattoo on the palm of his left hand. The dagger was his completely and he could make it appear as he wished. It was convenient as his more powerful Silver Thorn had to be taken out of his black satchel. He could even use the dagger as a hidden weapon or for assassinations. Silver Thorn was a sword with very potent poison once the blade pierces the skin. With one for offense and another for defense, his fighting style would be solid.


    Magical ranked treasures were great. It made him wonder how terrifying it was if humans fought against each other instead of the Mazoku, a scene he saw many times as an Exile but not with access to their orbs of power. It frightened him a little and he wondered what his two cousins picked. The fourth item was one that scraed the guards and kept them on edge. Some magical treasures were either too powerful or dangerous. Thus, guards would be posted to keep watch.


    One of those items were demon bones. No one ever saw a live demon, only their spirits or bones. These bones, when bound by blood would enter the body and replace the other. However, they carried a risk with tremendous power. Some went insane. Some died during the process. It all depended on the demon bone and the person in question.


    The guards followed Vincent with their eyes as he inspected and inquired the demon bones. At last, he stood before an amethyst crystal bone. It leaked a black energy and Vincent felt a shudder within his body. Just by looking at it, his orb of power shook and all one hundred and eight spikes seemed to react. Even though it was small, it was a complete set of bones. However, it looked more like a dragon made of bones than a human shaped skeleton.


    "Kid, it would be best not to take this demon bone," a guard said as he pointed to the small, complete set of dragon baby bones. "Only eight people survived out of eleven and none of them were able to unlock its power. It''s a waste. People only wanted it because it was found in an egg besides the body of a dead rain dragon. Scientists at the Testing Center believed the dragon inside the egg must have been its child that demonized somehow. They studied those who succeeded, but discarded the demon bone because none of them could use its power."


    "I still want it," Vincent said, his body bursting with yin and yang energy as he stepped closer.


    "Very well," the guard sighed as he verified the last magical treasure he could choose. No one but the head guard of the pagoda''s ninth floor would know what Vincent or any student chose. This was to protect the student from making any enemies who might desire the magical treasures by killing them.


    Vincent bit his thumb, the wound healing as a drop of blood fell onto the crystal bone. The amethyst demon bone shined and the black energy went into his body through his eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth. The guards seemed unaffected as blasts of cold and hot energy exploded from his body. The tips of the one hundred and eight spikes turned into amethyst crystal. His sky blue eyes turned a crystalline amethyst with the silver tinge more prominent than before. His soul force rose a little, but the power of the demon bone was a mystery, only changing him and his orb of power.


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    ''If you''re lucky, you might unlock its power," the guard sighed as he saw the familiar amethyst irises of his eyes. Those were signs the bone was successfully fused into the body. Only three people died out of eleven. It was not a question of survival but to unlock the demon bones power. For most other demon bones, it was the reverse that was the problem.


    "Vincent Turner?" the second guard realized as he looked at Vincent and saw the phoenix medallion and checkered leather jacket over his uniform. "You''re the cousin of the prodigy Exile twins. I heard rumors of you being spotted among them. I should warn you, Edward and Catherine both fused with two demon bones."


    "Always one-upping me," Vincent thought. "Does he want to defeat me that badly? Why does he insist on stopping my path to revenge? Doesn''t he realize that the stronger someone becomes to stop me, the stronger I am to prevent it?"


    "Your four magical treasures have been picked. We will escort you out now," the two guards said as the demon bone they guarded was gone and Vincent picked all that he could.


    "Good luck in defeating Edward," the second guard beamed as Vincent cupped his hands in thanks and arrived on the first floor.


    "You chose a demon bone," a female voice said, Vincent looking back to see Bing Fan smiling on the first floor as he arrived. "You spoke the truth. You really do have qilin blood. Otherwise, you would not be able to practice the cultivation technique further. You would have to pick a different combat technique to cultivate your orb of power. Are you going to take your chances on a magical beast egg?"


    "Yeah," Vincent nodded as they waited in line on the first floor.


    "Vincent!" a blonde girl cried as she ran and hugged him. "I finally see you! You''re always busy training and never visit during summer vacation."


    "Catherine. It''s nice to see you," Vincent said as he pat her head as she turned to see the others. "Hello Xin. Hello Fang. Vincent, who''s the girl and other boy?"


    "This is Bing Fan. We met on the seventh floor. As for the boy, he is Jing Zhou. He''s the best friend of Fang and the fourth roommate at the pagoda," Vincent said and they greeted her. "This is my cousin, Catherine Turner. You all probably heard of her elder twin, Edward."


    Some of the students in line stared at Vincent and Catherine, knowing they were two of the Exile trio that came three years ago and shocked the academy with their vastly superior talent and skills. Vincent was a legend among fighters of the beast path. No one was faster or stronger than Vincent. Even during sparring practice, any accidental wounds would automatically heal. Xin was also known as he was the only one who could spar with Vincent, besides Edward among all the students last year.


    Catherine was also one of the ten beauties and even the senior students were not her match in light magic, actually able to heal the wounds of others. Of the three Turner Exiles, only Catherine received offers from the top nine organizations as healing magic through mastery of the light element was extremely rare. Fighters were aplenty with all kinds of talent, but healing magic was like finding a diamond in a quartz mine.


    "I''m going to find my magical treasures. I didn''t pick my remaining four after experimenting with the two demon bones. Bye!" Catherine said.


    "Now that is a beauty," Xin said as he followed her with his eyes before they went further up the stairs.


    "He''s always liked her but never made a move," Fang whispered to Jing.


    "Ah. Yeah. With Second Brother and Edward, he can''t compare. It''s tough for any guy unless they dare court death," Jing whispered back.


    "Finally!" Jing said as the five of them were at the bottom of the stairs before the tenth floor. "Four hours! Seriously? Four hours!"


    "Better than most. Once school starts, people would notice some have magical beasts and come in droves," Xin said. "Let''s go before Jing decides to just barge in."


    "Welcome, kids, to the tenth floor. I trust you all wish to obtain your first magical beast. Please choose wisely. Once chosen, you will never come to the tenth floor to choose again," a guard said as he gestured to the shelves of several eggs of all kinds of colors and sizes.


    Vincent let out his soul force and tried to detect powerful signs of life from the eggs. As he learned an ancient cultivation technique, he was extremely sensitive to yin and yang energy. He could sense a lot of yang energy everywhere, but barely any eggs with yin energy. Finally, he made his way to the norther wall where he saw a shocking amount of yin energy and some yang energy flow inside the egg.


    "I pick this egg," Vincent said, causing one guard to sigh as he clearly did not want the egg to be taken.


    "You got some luck. Go ahead and inject the egg with your soul force," the guard said as two more walked over.


    The oval, white egg cracked and a small head appeared as Vincent put some soul force into the egg as he touched it. A white dragon looked around, curiously and began to cry. The three guards looked at each other and could not believe Vincent''s luck. Dragons of the wilderness were at the peak of the world. Africa was also the home of the oldest and largest dragon, a black dragon over a thousand years old. Having one as a tamed magical beast, he would have a priceless companion in battle.


    "Congratulations. That little dragon, the size of an baby''s fist, is a White Steel Dragon. Dragons already have scales and bones that cannot be scratched or damaged by bullets or most magical ranked weapons. White Steel Dragons are of the defensive type. As it reaches its juvenile state, its scales would be harder than any diamond," the guard said as the azure eyes of the dragon gazed upon Vincent.


    "This dragon is one that has immense strength, sharp teeth, and claws. It is a dragon with the innate ability to create giant dragon balls of ice fire that freeze all targets within range of the explosion," another said and escorted Vincent out of the tenth floor. He secretly fed it some qilin blood, the dragon licking its teeth with joy as Vincent waited for the others.


    "A dragon," one student whispered.


    "So lucky. As expected of an Exile of those three Turners," another agreed.


    "The Silver Exile, huh?" one noted.


    "Silver Exile?" a freshman asked.


    "You a first year? We call him that as he is an Exile who wields Silver Thorn, a sword with a white blade of snow that emanates a silver aura. No other Exile suites the name more," the prior student answered.


    "Is that....a dragon?" Bing Fan asked as she held an egg in her hands.


    "I''m guessing that''s powerful too? A dragon egg?" Vincent said as Bing remained silent as she nodded.


    "You already have enough reputation to earn the title: Silver Exile. I also had a title back in Black Sword Academy: the Ice Witch. With my martial arts skills and control over ice, no one could defeat me in my year. I gave up the knight path and specialize in the mage path. I will prove myself as the strongest among the fourth year students," Bing said.


    "You''re welcome to try. Fighting a beauty is better than fighting a weakling," Vincent teased with a grin on his face.


    "Let''s go. Wait, did you hatch it already?" Xin gasped as he saw Vincent holding a white scaled dragon. "No one ever hatches it here, save for the freshman first years. Ah, right. You don''t really know the rules. Anyway, let''s go home and prepare for class tomorrow."


    "Even if he doesn''t want to, he always stands out and gets compared to Edward," Fang told Jing.


    "Are they enemies?" Jing asked.


    "No, they''re family. However, they are the strongest among fourth years from all of the third students from last year. This year''s ranking tournament will be interesting for all five grades," Fang grinned. "We better practice hard if we don''t want to get left behind even further from Xin and Vincent."


    Vincent was the last to leave as he saw the many fake magical weapons on the first floor. He wanted to practice with dual swords, but did not want to reveal Blood Dragon Fang. Thus, he took a fake magical treasure in the form of a short sword with similar length and shape. He saw Bing leave and Bing nodded her head at him.


    "I''ll see you later," Bing said as she left the pagoda first.


    "She must have a strong background. She knew about the scrolls. She should reach the fourth layer soon as she was almost there when we touched hands over the jade scroll. Xin and Fang also said many people transferred, even students of our year. I''ll have plenty of new sparring partners," Vincent grinned as he walked back to his pagoda with the small dragon baby sleeping in his arms.

 Chapter 6: Troubles at School

    Chapter 6: Troubles at School


    "Let''s go! We''re gonna be late!" Xin shouted as Vincent and the other two scrambled down to the first floor. "Geez. You guys want to be late on the first day?"


    "I was busying all night with my magical beast wolf cub," Fang grinned.


    "I spent the night wondering on whether to hatch the egg or not," Jing said, happily drinking coffee as George handed him a mug.


    "I was making a small clearing for my dragon. It seemed to like sleeping on stone so I spent a few minutes carving some stones into a stone bed," Vincent shrugged.


    "New hair cut?" Xin asked as the hair on Vincent''s head was short on the sides and back while the wavy black hair on his head was medium in length.


    "The dragon has sharp claws. It cut my shoulder long hair as it climbed onto my shoulder," Vincent answered as the four left the pagoda after breakfast.


    As they entered one of the large marble buildings, they headed to their classrooms. Every year had ten classrooms with a maximum of twenty students each. The name of the classroom would have two numbers: one to indicate the year and the other is based on a secret evaluation made by the Testing Center. The second numbers went from 0 to 9. The lower the number, the more unique the orb of power a student has, regardless of how powerful the student was. Edward, Catherine, Jing, and Fang were all in Class 4-0.


    Xin and Vincent said goodbye to Jing and Fang as they headed to Class 4-1. Vincent noticed Bing and sat next to her as Xin sat to Vincent''s right. The classrooms were like small auditoriums with each row higher than the row in front. Half of the students were students from White Dragon Academy from the ten classes from the third year. Some students gossiped and talked about how some transfer students forced other students to drop out based on the many evaluations of power, unique orb of power, and other factors that interested the Testing Center. The transfer students mostly kept to themselves, talking to someone only if they felt they were stronger.


    "Ahem. Everyone sit down and prepare for class," a young woman shouted as she entered the room. "Last year, White Dragon Academy increased its overall rank from 3rd out of 18 to 2nd out of 18. It already had prestige with its affiliation to the Testing Center. I can see some of you are transfer students from other schools. I can tell as you all distance yourselves from others. This year won''t be like any other year."


    "I''ll say. This woman''s hot," Xin whispered.


    "My name is Jenny Cao. I will be the teacher of Class 4-1 this year. As you may have guessed, classes have changed since the academy increased in ranking. Our principal wants to obtain first place so we must teach you to be as elites among your peers. In two months is the annual Eighteen Gate Competition, a competition made since the establishment of the eighteen academies in Black Gate City. There are a series of competitions and students are picked to represent their academies in some of them. Based on your evaluation in a month and a half''s time, you may be selected to be one of the representatives at the Eighteen Gate Competition. You will not only represent your academy, you will also represent one of the eighteen districts of the city," the teacher said. "Ten of the top students of each year, a total of fifty being chosen to represent this academy and the White Dragon District the academy is built in."


    "Only ten from among the fourth year classes?" a student murmured.


    "Xin and Vincent are shoo-ins. They are the best fighters. Not the most powerful, but no one can defeat them. Even Edward, the most powerful student of the third years did not beat his cousin once," a student said in awe.


    "Even if there are transfers from other academies, they can''t beat Vincent. If Edward represents power, then Vincent represents danger," a student agreed.


    "Vincent? Xin?" some of the transfer students asked as they stared at the two in front.


    "The best way to prepare for a combat occupation is live combat against Mazoku. I have authorization to lead you all out the north gate and fight the weaker Mazoku there. This will happen one month from now. Only through the possibility of death, will you subconsciously remove any unnecessary movement and improve your technique and experience. Has anyone been in the wilderness before?" Ms. Cao asked.


    "I have," Vincent said as all eyes turned to him as he was the only one who answered.


    "Ah, the Silver Exile. You''re the student who practiced under the experts of the beast and shaman paths. You must be proficient with the powers of the beast, shaman, and guardian path. Tell me, have you killed a Mazoku?" the teacher asked.


    "Yes," Vincent said and pointed to the smooth scar on the left side of his face. "One of them gave me this."


    "I see. Good. You will be prepared in a month''s time. Now, most classes will go to the arena for two hours for combat lessons everyday. Let me be the first to tell you that two hours is not enough. You might want to learn under a specialist, but you will disregard knowledge on everything else. Our classes will be everyday for six hours in the training grounds, one of the private areas for dojos," Ms. Cao said.


    "But I thought only dojos could have them?" Xin said as he raised his hand.


    "I challenged and dissolved a dojo with a suitable-sized training ground," the teacher answered, shocking some students as each dojo had about ten adults of the Earthly Fighter stage. "You all seem surprised. Don''t tell me you think that numbers mean everything? Skill and experience trumps all. Power gets you far until you find someone even stronger."


    "Just like how Edward loses to you," Xin grinned.


    "Now, I''d like you all to fill out a piece of paper," the teacher began as the students took out notebooks and pens from their storage items. "Write down your name, your four paths, which path you specialize, which path you sacrificed, how many and which one of the four paths you have access to, and your weapons and preferred fighting styles," the teacher said. "Once you are done, I will take you all to the dojo where we will officially have class and prepare you for the Mazoku you will fight in a month''s time. No other fourth year class may be doing this, but many of the fifth year students are. Age is but a number. Remember that. Just because you are older, it does not mean you are more powerful. It just means there is a possibility due to an educated guess that the person trained longer."


    "Welcome to the Blood Tiger Dojo," Ms. Cao said as all the students gathered. They hasped as they saw several people bow before her. "These people are Earthly Fighter stage fighters. They will be assisting in supervising your training. Most of you are at the peak of the second layer or initial third layer. Six of you are at the fourth layer. Train hard if you want to survive to your fifth year. All prospect examinations require the applicant to be at the fifth stage. You have two years. In this one, you better hope you are at the fourth layer at the end of the year."


    "Since you, Bing, and I are at the fourth layer; that means there are three other transfers who are at the fourth layer," XIn said. "Well, they can''t beat us."


    "Can''t I? I bet I can beat an orphan Exile and some commoner twit," a boy asked as he and two others appeared.


    "Ah, great. Ugly Leader and two goons," Xin whispered as the blonde boy glared at him. "They must be at the third layer though."


    "I am Maxwell Lane, a noble of Black Gate City, and I---" the boy began before Vincent punched in the boy in the solar plexus. The boy fell to the ground as Vincent did a high kick to one goon and a roundhouse kick on the other. The first goon''s body was stuck in the ceiling, from the armpit up, and the other goon got broken ribs as he slammed into the wall.


    "I''m not an orphan because I wanted to be!" Vincent roared as he crushed the boy''s neck as he lifted him in the air. He let go and did a high knee to the boy''s dick. The boy cried for only a second before Vincent grabbed him and slammed the boy on the ground. As the boy''s back hit the ground, Vincent stomped on his face, knocking him out. A nasty look in his eye appeared as he took out Silver Thorn and stabbed downward.


    "Stop!" the teacher cried and Vincent''s sword stopped just as it pierced the boy''s neck enough to prick and draw blood.


    "You''re lucky she''s here. Out there, in the wilderness, you get killed for even mentioning someone''s family. You lived here, in this fancy city, your whole life. You think you can fight a Mazoku in the wilderness? Get the fuck out of here," Vincent said as he dragged the boy and tossed him out the dojo.


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    "Fool," Xin sighed as he grabbed the other two goons and threw them out. "Messing with an Exile? Don''t you know any and all Exiles have a screw loose somewhere? Geez."


    "You can bill me for the roof. I got a lot of money from killing Mazoku," Vincent said.


    "The records said you only had one body, that of a dead Mazoku wolf," Ms. Cao frowned.


    "A background check? You''re not an ordinary teacher. Let me tell you something, you don''t want to know what''s out there. Second, no Exile would ever reveal all his assets. So good luck trying to search us," Vincent said and headed to one of the dummies to train using his bow and arrow.


    ""Well, better start training. Let''s go. Chop. Chop," Xin said and the eight other students originally from White Dragon Academy nodded as they were used to seeing Vincent beat up others. Vincent was a good guy. If they needed help, he would not refuse and tell them tips on how to fight. After all, he and Xin learned under two experts for three years. If anyone mentioned his mother in any way, Vincent would break the offender. Literally breaking their bones and being forced to stop by the adults.


    He couldn''t be punished as he and the other two Turner children were closely affiliated to the Testing Center, writing records and details of the Mazoku they encountered and how other humans fared outside Black Gate City. In the Testing Center''s eyes, all people who had no knowledge of the wilderness and Mazoku were expendable. It was also backed by the nine most powerful organizations in the world. Money? Nobles? It meant nothing outside the city. Nothing at all.


    "When shooting a recurve bow, your aim should be a little higher as the arrow arches downward after reaching the height of its velocity," a man said as a week had passed since the first day. Some students shivered as the arrow would always bury into the dummy until only the feathers at the end of the arrow ere visible. That just displayed sheer power.


    Maxell and the two goons transferred out of Black Gate Academy and the arrogant boy''s father paid a hefty fine to the Testing Center and Vincent for his son''s actions. All three families also moved out of White Dragon District. Edward sent five people out as three challenged him as two harassed Catherine.


    "Vincent, let''s fight," Xin said as Vincent finished his hour long session on archery training. Vincent was about to agree, as he had reached the fifth layer and needed more practice to get used to his power, but an alarm sounded all over the dojo and outside.


    "Is that another earthquake drill?" Bing asked.


    "No," Ms. Cao said as her face paled. "It''s a Mazoku alarm. Everyone! Gather up! We are heading to the underground shelters below the dojo."


    Every panicked and quickly gathered their weapons. The alarm meant a Mazoku horde was assaulting the gates. Everyone followed Ms. Cao and the Blood Tiger Dojo instructors as they raced toward the underground shelter. Ever since the Black Gate City survived its first ten years of assaults, it was razed by a dragon Mazoku. Learning from the attack, underground shelters were made below each building. Each underground shelter was connected to each other, like an underground ant hill. The walls and tunnels to other shelters were made of five foot thick tempered steel.


    "Okay, that is twenty students and ten dojo instructors," Ms. Cao said as everyone turned to the giant monitor in the room.


    "Which gate is being assaulted?" one of the instructors asked.


    "The western gate," Ms. Cao answered as the screen turned on and displayed an image of the gate. "A zebra pack. Not good. Those Mazoku are sensitive to magic. Most people don''t specialize in the shaman path."


    "Zebra Mazoku. It''s easy to kill them with bullets as they run forward, like a stampede," Vincent said.


    "Yes, but most of the guards at the western gate don;t use guns," Xin said. "A lot of people use guns, but the western gate is rather docile."


    "The guns fighters use are like gatling guns. They are light to people who soul bind them. Bullets are made using yin and yang energy, different energy for people of other districts who cultivate differently. They usually increase the power and speed of their bullets using telekinesis," Ms. Cao said. "Every combat squad has one gun expert, one mage, and two main fighters excelling in offense or defense."


    "There are the reinforcements," Xin cried and everyone cheered as fighters with large guns appeared and shot the Mazoku zebra pack.


    "Why did we have to enter the shelter if they were so easy to kill?" Vincent frowned.


    "We always take the utmost precautions," Ms. Cao said. "That is what it means to live in the city. Still, Mazoku zebras are more intelligent than some other Mazoku species. They would not dare attach the western gate. Something must have scared them off. Something so powerful, it scared them and forced them to flee eastward, to us."


    "Another alarm?" Vincent asked.


    "That''s the alarm indicating it is safe to return to the surface. I will end class here. No doubt, the city will be on alert and convene to discuss the irregular action of the Mazoku zebras," Ms. Cao said and the others all left.


    "Man, first Mazoku attack in three years," XIn said. "Almost forgot we lived in such a dangerous world."


    "Those Mazoku zebra were not strong," Vincent said.


    "Yeah, they were probably at the Power Concentration stage, like us. However, hordes make a difference. Still, the weakest guards are at initial Earthly Fighter stage. Piece of cake to kill them. It is because most combat occupations travel outside the city and lessen the numbers of the Mazoku near the city or act as guards for merchant caravans between cities," Xin said. "Still, I don''t think we can leave the city to kill Mazoku now. We have to practice like everyone else. Well, plenty of time for closed door practice. You gonna do it?"


    "Yeah. I learned the basics of dual sword fighting but I am better at using one sword to begin with. I''ll only use dual-swords if I am surrounded. That way, I can utilize my Golden Monkey Force technique with my left hand and two feet as I use the Ice Devil Strike and Savage Elephant Tusk technique with Silver Thorn. I don''t want people to know I specialize in dual swords. Best to make them think I gave up on it," Vincent nodded.


    "And then surprise them when you take out that short sword of yours," Xin said as he pointed at the tattoo. "Well, we are the representatives anyway. I''ll try to break to the fifth stage. You?"


    "I am not increasing my cultivation as I am at the middle stage of the fifth layer. I am going to increase my foundations and try to harness more yin and yang energy in my body. Cultivating too quickly is bad," Vincent said and the two boys laughed as they talked about sword techniques and cultivation.


    Three days before the competitions, the ten participants of every year were gathered. Vincent, Xin, Bing, Catherine, Jing, Fang, Edward, and three others were chosen to represent the fourth year students. Of the ten fourth years, only Edward, Catherine, Xin, and Vincent were at the fifth layer. Jing and Fang broke through to the fourth layer and the other fourth years were still at the third layer.


    "We''re riding on a bus," Fang sighed as he held his wolf cub.


    "Hey, motor vehicles are expensive these days. Only nobles or powerful fighters who made a boat load from Mazoku hunting ride them," Xin said "Why bring your magical beast?"


    "We didn''t have to bring them? Dammit," Vincent said as he held his White Steel Dragon as he got on the bus. "I saw Fang bring it and brought mine."


    "Anyone know what the competition''s about?" Catherine asked as she sat with them. Each of the representatives of the five years rode their own private bus.


    "Who cares? We get a breather for once and we don''t need to go to the Testing Center for the weekly checkups," Edward sighed. "Someone wake me up when we get there, wherever there is."


    --------------------


    Writer''s Note: Hello. First time I make a note here. Let''s just say the competition is when bad and exciting things happen. I am in college so no scheduled releases. Sorry. Midterms, quizzes, and homework. Yes, college gives homework and thousands-of-words essays. Thanks for reading.

 Chapter 7: Fourth Year Gathering

    Chapter 7: Fourth Year Gathering


    "We''re heading to the Warlord District?" Xin asked as the bus passed through the a large, circular wall made of black metal. Black Gate City had eighteen districts and a segregated area at the center of the city where the people with the most influence and power gathered. People called it the unofficial nineteenth district: the Warlord District.


    Naturally, it was because the elite among elite lived there, fighters at the Heavenly Warlord stage. Even if the Heavenly Warlord stage was not the highest, people who reached that stage were few and considered true geniuses. A gun expert at the Heavenly Warlord stage had the power to blow up several houses in a linear formation with a single bullet. Their gun was literally a portable cannon.


    "We get to go in there. Wow," Edward said as they passed through the gate. The first thing they saw was beautiful peach trees and small streams and a river. It was as if they stepped into a world of ancient China with many pavilions and pagodas everywhere. Some buildings looked different, obviously influenced by the other seventeen districts.


    "We will be residing in the guest houses in the Peach Blossom Wing. Just as there are eighteen districts, this Warlord District has eight sections they call Wings. This is true paradise and the reason some people cultivate. Most cities don''t have a place like this," Ms. Cao said.


    "Do you live here, Shifu?" one of the three other fourth years asked, using the Chinese term for teacher.


    "No. My elder brother and my parents do. I am only at the peak of the Earthly Fighter stage," their teacher laughed. "Four students of my class are of the ten fourth years. You did good to get in with Vincent, Xin, and Bing. You worked hard, Daniel Chen."


    "I''m still not at the fourth stage but I''ll do my best. Most people aren''t anyway," Daniel grinned as their bus stopped before a large pavilion. A man in a white black tuxedo with a golden dragon on a black tie smiled and bowed as the students got off the bus.


    "Welcome, fourth year students of White Dragon Academy," the man smiled. "My name is Bu Kong and I am a fighter at the mid-stage of Heavenly Warlord stage. I see some of you are even at the fifth layer. Quite a talented group. Please, come inside. We will discuss the competition there during lunch."


    "Thank you," Ms. Cao and the students bowed and followed him.


    "Now," Bu Kong began as they ate some food. "The Fall Gate Competition is quite popular this year. Many organizations have sent scouts to recruit potential seeds, like you. Even the the top nine organizations and the Testing Center have sent scouts. There are also underground organizations here. Thus, I implore that you don''t wander off or risk being kidnapped or murdered. Bets have also been made of the many games being hosted for the competition between the eighteen academies. There is also a great prize here that has gathered too much attention. I fear you are all being used as bait, but the prize will be given regardless. For every district, the first place prize is the same. The second and third prize is awarded by the District Manager as the first place prize is awarded by the City Lord. Still, the first place prize is the same for all years and the first place prize of the fourth year and all the fifth year prizes are all priceless. It is suspicious because all three prizes of the fifth year prizes are given by the City Lord. You can say the fifth year competition will be a blood bath, the prizes bait for something bigger."


    "Bait? Not good. Is it because of rival Exiles...er, I mean other cities," Edward frowned.


    "Precisely. The District Manager of White Dragon District made sure I warned you all. There are three grand prizes for the top 3 overall winners of each year. The higher the year. the better the prize. Luckily you are not fifth years or you would be the target of all kinds of deceit, trickery, or assassinations. It''s best you don''t know what the prizes for the fifth years are as I suspect many would wish they did not join as none are allowed to drop out of the competition. For fourth years, the one you need to fear is the prize for first place over all," Bu Kong said. "The prize for the fourth years, I will tell you from third place to first place. Third place overall gets a Mazoku orb of power. Second place overall gets the bone marrow of a Nether Wyrm. First place gets armor made by dragon scales of one of the children of THE Black Dragon, the unique variant among all Mazoku black dragons that is considered a living god!"


    "WHAT?" Jenny Cao gasped as the others wondered what was so special of the prizes.


    "Moon Light Pill? Nether Wyrm''s bone marrow?" the students asked, confused.


    "Draconic Mazoku are the most powerful of all Mazoku. If they were to have a rival, it would be Mazoku phoenixes, leviathans, and devils. Mazoku lion turtles are also powerful, but they don''t attack humans. Each part of a draconic Mazoku is a priceless treasure, even its brain and marrow. Especially the marrow. You all know how yin and yang energy flow through your bodies and strengthen your bones, tissues, and organs as it travels through your meridians? Well, yin and yang energy are also stored within the bone. It is pure raw power. Absorbing the soul force from the bone marrow of a dragon is more efficient and easier than absorbing it from the heart. Most don''t know it as the most effective method is to absorb the soul force from a Mazoku''s orb of power. Well, now you know two more ways to absorb soul force," Bu Kong laughed. "Unlike blood, the bone keeps the bone marrow fresh of all the soul force within, even through the passage of time. It can be said that walking among a boneyard of Mazoku is paradise for cultivation."


    "How creepy," Catherine shivered.


    "What about the armor?" Edward asked, all but Vincent and Xin excited as they specialized in the beast path and had superior physical prowess and regeneration.


    "For fourth years, the first place is a single piece of Mazoku armor, akin to a superior ranked magical armor worn by those at the Heavenly Warlord stage. To anyone below that stage, the part of your body protected by the armor will never be injured by any attack. Material attack? Mage and shaman attacks? All worthless. It goes to show how deadly the children of the Black Dragon are. We can only be thankful the Black Dragon makes many children and does not care for its weaker ones," Bu Kong sighed with relief.


    "What about the third place prize?" Vincent asked as all the others went to their rooms to cultivate and prepare for the games.


    "You''re not interested in the bone marrow or armor?" Bu Kong asked, surprised as many would want those.


    "No. I specialize in the beast path and I cultivate both yin and yang energy. As I did a near two-month closed door practice, I reached the second stage of my Thunder Clap Qilin technique. My cultivation speed is quick compared to others. Still, it is difficult to absorb yin and yang energy in lots of amounts," Vincent said.


    "You have qilin blood?" Bu Kong said, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "I wanted to learn that combat technique but I had no Mazoku qilin blood to finalize the changes. I found a different yin and yang cultivation method, but it is inferior to that ancient one. I''m guessing you found it in the wilderness. You are very lucky. Qilin are extremely powerful as they are part dragon. Since you reached the second stage, you must be able to use your mage abilities to create small sparks."


    "Yes, ancestor," Vincent said, the term addressing respect to a person of higher cultivation. Vincent let the yin and yang energy flow to his finger tips. White and orange lightning sparked between his fingertips. He used magic in a different way than most people of the mage path, manifesting it with telekinesis at the same time so he could manipulate it.


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    "Not bad. Really not bad. From my cultivation, I can sense the yin and yang moving in harmony in your body. Your bones are different, and not just one piece. A full-body demon bone and all the same? I only know one, from the academy, and that is the amethyst demon bone of a demonic rain dragon. There is also a faint trace fo a third type of energy. Somehow, it is in your orb of power and forcibly controlling the yin and yang in harmony," Bu Kong observed.


    "What? A third type?" Vincent sputtered, shocked.


    "There are all kinds of energy used for cultivation. For our White Dragon District, all the people learn how to cultivate using yin and yang energy. The third type is not one of them though. It seems like one that belongs to a Mazoku. Still, it does not seem to be harmful and is actually assisting your cultivation. I would not worry," Bu Kong nodded.


    "Good," Vincent heavily sighed.


    "To answer your question, the third place prize is a Mazoku orb of power. It is the orb of a Mazoku phoenix, in honor of the Testing Center in the White Dragon District. The District Manager chose the second place prize, but the Testing Center donated the phoenix orb of power. The effects are well known. Those who absorb it will have their meridians slightly enlarged and undergo a metamorphosis. If I were you, I would aim for third place overall. Of course, those at first place can switch for one of the other two. Just be sure you don''t get second or below third," Bu Kong advised. "Bone marrows of the dragon will let you breakthrough all the way to late Earthly Fighter stage, but it is used later on as cultivation progressively hardens in difficulty. The third place prize can be used now and is the ideal choice."


    "Right. Thank you," Vincent said and was about to leave when he saw a familiar face at the door. "Dr. Gavin?"


    "Hello Vincent," the doctor smiled as Bu Kong immediately rose to his feet and bowed.


    "Welcome, Honorable Ancestor. For a being above the Heavenly Warlord state to enter my home, I am grateful beyond words," Bu Kong said, stunning Vincent.


    "I was a rather adventurous youth two hundred years ago," Dr. Gavin smiled.


    "T, two hundred years?" Vincent gasped.


    "Of course. You know we''re not completely human anymore. After you pass the Heavenly Warlord stage, you stop aging and live eternal youth at your mid to late twenties? Sounds about right," Dr. Gavin pondered aloud. "Bu Kong, my boy, you look good. Already at the middle of the Heavenly Warlord stage. Not bad. I''ll have to trouble you with taking Vincent and Catherine with me. Vincent, go get your cousin please."


    "Edward?" Vincent began as the doctor shook his head as if he predicted Vincent''s reaction.


    "He is not as compatible. Testing Center business and results of the checkups," Dr. Gavin said as he stared at Bu Kong.


    "Project Meteor is in motion?" Bu Kong asked, Vincent staring at him in confusion before leaving to fetch Catherine.


    "The initial stages. Please advise that one of the nine organizations, the one you are affiliated, and tell the boss that we are proceeding at last," Dr. Gavin said as Vincent returned with Catherine. "Catherine! Good. You two will come with me. Bu Kong, these two will be a little late to the Fourth Year Gathering. These kids left three days before and there should be two and a half days left. Do not worry, they will only miss the introductions on the night before the competition."


    "Of course and I will alert Her with the good news," Bu Kong bowed his head.


    "What''s Project Meteor?" Vincent asked as they entered a white pavilion an hour later.


    "Many years ago, we found a large meteor containing a rather mysterious corpse. It actually contained D.N.A. samples from another planet. It must have broken off a larger meteor that could have destroyed the world. Maybe a meteor that strayed off of a meteor shower. No one truly understands what a meteor is or contains. In any event, the alien sample was extracted. We had hoped to make super soldiers to fight against the Mazoku. This meteor has been the third greatest secret of the Testing Center since it was established. One of the nine organizations works with us," Dr. Gavin said.


    "So we are going to be a part of the project?" Catherine asked.


    "Indeed. This pavilion is under the jurisdiction of that power but it is really the Testing Center in charge. No one knows we are here. Bu Kong will said you were summoned to the Testing Center for a last-minute checkup and Edward was left behind. It is rather good he was incompatible as leaving him there is a good excuse to tell the spies," Dr. Gavin laughed.


    "Are these pods?" Vincent frowned as he saw one hundred pods.


    "Yes. These are the V-Series pods. There are forty other people who will enter those pods. For two days and one night, you will be in the pods," Dr. Gavin said. "The checkups were to obtain blood samples to test compatibility. You both passed with flying colors on each assessment. I''m not going to lie. The G-Series and M-Series had some failures but also many successes. Once we complete the V-Series, you will automatically be accepted into one of the nine powers. It is known as the Zodiac Dojo of Spires. You''ll learn more later."


    "With this, I can get my revenge? I can kill a dragon Mazoku?" Vincent asked as Catherine looked into one of the pods.


    "I don''t know as Mazoku dragons have impossibly fast cultivation, but it most certainly will get you closer to that goal," Dr. Gavin said. "You will be Experiment V-21, your cousin being V-63. We will inject you with the alien cells and you will be genetically enhanced. Each pod is specialized to the person. You will have a heart transplant with a Mazoku wolf, the same one you killed years ago. That scar is evident your body is compatible with it. Having its heart will improve your chances at survival. I just need to warn you about one thing. Revenge will destroy you just as much as your enemy. I don''t know what the Mazoku dragon looks like or who your father is. Just ask yourself if it is worth it."


    Vincent was led to a surgery room after he changed clothes into plain, silk white pants. He laid back on the table and was told the next time he woke up would be after the process was complete. Vincent felt tired as the anesthesia kicked in, after a shot, and he closed his amethyst and silver eyes.


    "What is it?" a voice asked as Bu Kong dialed a number.


    "Boss, Project Meteor will be finalizing its initial stage and is in motion," Bu Kong answered.


    "Good. You survived the M-Series experiment. What are the chances of this last group of one hundred?" the voice asked.


    "The two kids I met will survive, one of them exceptionally powerful," Bu Kong answered.


    "None of the other eight organizations know about Project Meteor. Ensure the survivors don''t leak it. The other eight organizations are satisfied with minor excursions and killing Mazoku. Our goal is to take back the planet. We need fighters willing to kill the most powerful Mazoku who would stand in our way," the voice ordered.


    "I understand. It will be done," Bu Kong answered as the call ended.


    "He should have woken up by now," Catherine said as two days and a night passed.


    "He''ll be up soon. We already completed his tests. People will be secretly watching as members of the staff in case something happens," Dr. Gavin smiled. "You two will head to the Fourth Year Gathering soon. Look, the monitor says his brain activity is increasing. He is waking."


    They stared at the teen wearing white silk pants. He was currently half naked and the phoenix medallion was around his neck. Black veins could be seen beneath his skin where his heart was and his body seemed to grow leaner and develop more muscle. The experiment was a success in that he survived. Of the V-Series, only thirty eight died and twelve were brain dead. Vincent''s body trembled and his amethyst and silver eyes opened.

 Chapter 8: Sticks and Stones

    Writer''s Note: surprise second chapter release. Thanks for reading.


    Chapter 8: Sticks and Stones


    "Stop fussing. Tuxedos make you look good," Catherine said as Vincent scowled as she straightened his tie. He wore a black tuxedo with a crimson tie with the image of a white dragon on it. It was the formal uniform of White Dragon City male students. Girls were allowed to dress as they liked so long as they had a white dragon sewn on the dress. This would allow the staff and guards to separate them from the other seventeen academies when the situation called for it.


    "My heart burns. It feels weird, strangely comfortable," Vincent sighed as they had left the Testing Center and arrived before a black palace. It was called Warlord Palace and was where the banquet would be. The first, second, and third year students were crowded in last night''s gathering while the fourth and fifth year students would have their own gathering. It was because they were more powerful, normally, and fights would escalate too quickly to stop major damage to the building.


    "What was that pill Dr. Gavin told you to eat?" Catherine asked.


    "Ah, that was the Eclipse Moonlight Pill. As I cultivate, strands of moonlight will gather around my body. Moonlight is caused by the moon reflecting light from the sun. The rays of the sun are hot, but moonlight is not. Empty space is cold and the moon has no core of its own as it is a giant rock. Thus, cold nullifies heat and they exist in unison. So long as I meditate under the moonlight, it does not matter if the area I am in has less yang or yin energy," Vincent answered.


    "Ah, it must be hard to cultivate at different times of the day," Catherine realized as she just cultivated yang energy.


    "Where is my dragon anyway?" Vincent asked as he had left it at Bu Kong''s house.


    "Um, Dr. Gavin said the dragon is currently being taken care by Bu Kong," Catherine said as they arrived in front of two oak doors. "You have a temper so please don''t go berserk if someone insults your mom."


    He pat his black satchel and took out the gourd. He drank qilin blood, strangely enjoying the taste now. It calmed him down and he drank water to cleanse his mouth. He left his phoenix medallion in there and he felt empty without a medallion around his neck. He and Catherine broke through to the sixth layer.


    He felt a strong urge to test his power but had to come to the gathering. It would take a lot of self-control to reign his emotions in. He stared at the ring he found along with Silver Thorn and wondered if he would ever unlock its secret. Still, it served as a way to calm him down as he had found it and Silver Thorn while with his mother.


    "I won''t kill the guy. I''ll promise that much," Vincent said as he entered the banquet room.


    "That''s not the problem," Catherine sighed as they searched for Edward and the others.


    "What? They seem more powerful than before? What did Dr. Gavin do during their checkup? Why not ask for me too?" Edward thought as Vincent and Catherine arrived. Catherine was more beautiful than before and her body also matured, causing many eyes to stare at her with lust and envy as she joined the others. As for Vincent, the moonlight from the window cascaded on him, making him seem like a man who descended from heaven.


    "Eh? Who are they? I didn''t see them during the introductions," one student commented.


    "So beautiful," a girl sighed as she stared at Catherine.


    "White Dragon Academy?" a student guessed as he saw the white dragons on the tie and dress.


    "The Silver Exile and the Exile Goddess," one said as he pulled out a book from his storage belt.


    "How do you know, Robert?" a girl asked as she wore a red dress with a black sword on it.


    "They are affiliated with the Testing Center. Our academy is rivals with White Dragon Academy as they ranked two and are affiliated with it. Those two are frequently seen there along with someone named Edward Turner. Vincent Turner is reputed to be the best swordsman while Catherine Turner is called the Exile Goddess as she is the first Exile to have mastery over light magic enough to use healing properties," Robert said.


    "And the third?" the girl asked.


    "Meh. He''s just powerful and talented like all other Exiles," Robert scoffed.


    "That jerk," Edward growled as he walked to him. "HEY! Who are you to judge me like that?"


    "The facts speak for themselves. I just stated them," Robert said as Edward walked to him.


    "You''re right. MY temper is the problem," Vincent laughed.


    "Shut up," Catherine said as she walked to Edward.


    "I bet one hundred gold they''re gonna fight," Xin whispered. Gold was the universal currency and gold coins were mostly silver mixed with a little gold. It was because silver became abundant ever since the Mazoku appeared. No one knew why. Still, silver seemed to weaken the Mazoku. People made a pun saying Mazoku were freak accidents of a werewolf and an actual wolf.


    "I''ll take that bet," Jing said as Fang nodded. They were nobles and didn''t care. Bets were fun and a nice distraction from training all the time.


    "Calm down. There are people watching," Catherine said.


    "I see they came late. What about you? Guess you didn''t interest the Testing Center as much as them. Don''t blame you. One has healing magic while the other is better skilled," James said.


    "You want to keep talking?!" Edward roared as he took out Frost Bite, the other students backing away as they made room for the fight. No one said anything but they hoped to see a fight. They were used to training and not formal gatherings. Also, they could see future competition fight and learn their skills to prepare.


    "I do. My dad says not to mess with you as you are talented and noticed by the Testing Center. As I see it, you must be at the fifth layer. Most fourth years are at the third or fourth. You got talent, but you''re not the only one at the fifth layer. You''re just noticed as you''re a member of an Exile family who all are all compatible. You''re just a novelty to the scientists," Robert sneered as he also took out a spear and held an arm to the girl he spoke earlier. "Stay back, Carly. I''ll handle this arrogant guy shortly."


    "Sticks and stones. Sticks and stones," Catherine said but her arms were brushed away with Edward''s shoulder.


    "Listen to your twin. She is the most sensible. You don''t really need to fight here," a student advised but was admonished by the crowd. "Fine. Fine. Just don''t go too far."


    "You can insult me, but you can''t insult my family!" Edward said.


    "Was his family insulted?" Bing asked.


    "Maybe the Exile family part?" Xin shrugged and grinned at Jing and Fang.


    "I heard you caused your mom''s death. Smooth move," one of the students said and Catherine paled.


    "You shouldn''t have said that. Oh god. Vincent," Catherine said and all eyes turned to Vincent as a snarl appeared on his face.


    "Hey, idiot! Don''t go spouting nonsense. You insulted the wrong guy and who made you involved?" Robert snapped as he stared at the guy. "Sorry Vincent Turner. You''re first trial must have been more painful than all of us."


    "Temper. Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts," Catherine said as she gave up on Edward.


    "What happened?" someone gasped as a girl shrieked. Everyone turned and saw the guy on the ground, his mouth foaming.


    "Huh?" Catherine frowned and looked at the guy in surprise. His pants was bleeding between the legs. A guard walked over and took him away.


    "Telekinesis to crush his balls?" Xin whispered and bumped fists as Vincent nodded. "Remind me not to piss you off."


    "Uh, I didn''t do that," Edward said and looked back at Robert. "Apologize and I''ll let things slide."


    "Why? Facts are what move this world. I aim to join the Testing Center. Naturally, one must be smart and move according to the facts," Robert said as he adjusted his square-rimmed glasses. "I have a title of my own: The Glasses Devil. You know why? I cruelly beat anyone who denied the facts and attempted to take advantage as they judged by appearance. You look like a jock, but this is not the Ancient Era. This is the Mazoku Era. Even a guy with glasses can beat a jock."


    "I think he called you stupid," Fang called, Catherine glaring at him. "What? Jocks are termed as people more athletic than they are intelligent. That''s why idiots created the terms nerd, geek, jock, and brawn-for-brains."


    "Don''t forget airhead," Jing nodded and the crowd laughed.


    "Fighting is not good. If you fight, I''m not healing your wounds," Catherine snapped and stomped her feet as she sat on an empty table near the clearing.


    "She will," Bing said. "He''s her twin."


    "Two hundred gold coins. Awesome," Xin said as he rubbed his hands. "Vincent, can you stop them if they go too far?"


    "I reached the sixth layer. I mastered the Golden Monkey Force, Savage Elephant Tusk, and Iron Sand Skin techniques. The Ice Devil Strike technique takes a while as I am fusing yin and yang into a yin technique. As for the Thunder Clap Qilin technique, I''m still at the second stage," Vincent said, shocking everyone at White Dragon Academy.


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    "Holy....that means you can move on to martial arts techniques, moves that don''t rely on just the body. People usually start at the fifth year or after they chose their combat occupation," Xin whispered in awe. "It''s really that hard to master cultivation methods but you.....damn. Well, I''m still the Eldest Brother. HAHAHAHA!"


    "Is that true, Vincent?" Catherine asked.


    "Yeah. I don''t know why, but that experiment gave me great benefits. Still, my heart is burning," Vincent whispered.


    "Things are getting out of hand," Carly whispered to her friend. "Think Robert will come out okay?"


    "Trust your boyfriend. He rattled the other boy and that Edward will make many mistakes as his mind is not calm," Bing smiled. "If things do get too far, I''ll help you stop them. We can''t let our two academies lose the top two ranks for our year."


    "How many people at the sixth layer are here, Bing?" Carly whispered.


    "Five," Bing answered. "I can''t pinpoint their location as they are too powerful for someone at the fifth layer to sense. How is the Black Sword Academy after I transferred?"


    "The snobs only became bigger jerks," Carly said. "Robert got his title as he beat up guys who got too close to me. What about Edward?"


    "I don''t have class with him or his twin, just Vincent. He is....strong. He might even be a match for Keili," Bing said.


    "Keili Mu? You think he can match her?" Carly whispered. Ruo Mu was the top female student among third years last year at Black Sword Academy. She also participated in last year''s Fall Gate Competition and won first place among the third years. Like her last name, Mu, Ruo was an expert in using wood energy. Thus, she was known as Keili the Wood Nymph. She was also capable of healing and only used wood magic and wood essence. In the Black Sword District, students cultivated elemental essence separately. It paled in comparison to yin and yang energy, but made cultivation much easier.


    "Hello Bing," a beautiful girl with blonde hair and a great chest smiled. "Do you know those two latecomers? They come from the same academy as you."


    "Keili? Yes. They are Vincent and Catherine Turner," Bing said as the blonde haired girl and Bing stared at Vincent and the others. "Huh? Blonde hair? Wasn''t it black?"


    Robert stared around as he heard what the other students said, saying to Edward, "I don''t want to deal with your inferiority complex. Let''s not fight."


    "That''s it! You''re dead," Edward roared, fed up with Robert''s attitude. Edward''s body permeated cold yin energy as he sprung forward. Robert laughed as fire, metal, and wind essence permeated from his body and gathered at his spear. Edward wasn''t afraid as he cultivated yin and yang energy, the most effective cultivation method discovered by the Testing Center. Yin and yang energy encompassed all the elements. Why? Yin and yang represented opposites, not necessarily water and fire. Those two elements, besides light and darkness, were easier to envision yin and yang with.


    However, people who envision light and darkness were far too rare, one of them being Catherine. That was why her talent over light magic was so high that she was able to use it with healing properties. Catherine watched as Edward made the first move. His spear thrust forward, freezing the air as Robert''s spearhead deflected Edward''s. Steam could be seen from the impact, but Edward was stronger.


    "You are the one who is nothing!" Edward roared as he covered his fist in yin energy, darkness appearing as if draining the light around it. As Robert blocked Edward''s fist of darkness with a palm of fire, Robert spat blood as his fire essence was drained. Edward had combined six other combat techniques into his main combat technique. He was a prodigy in his own right! Naturally, Robert had a disadvantage.


    Robert slashed as Edward stabbed. Edward would block a low slash and spin his spear to Robert''s neck. Robert cried out and fused metal and fire essence into his fist. A loud clang was heard and Robert managed to block the spear as he cut Edward''s leg. Robert condensed wind energy into his legs and he blurred, appearing behind Edward as he stabbed toward the ribs.


    Edward hastily blocked, his tuxedo torn and burnt by the attack. Edward roared, shattering his tuxedo and long sleeve shirt to reveal his upper body, a white tiger with two tails glowing on his back. Keili, Bing, and the guards stared at the back in shock as they saw four wings on the back of the tiger. Edward stomped his foot on the ground, cracking it as he used earth magic to throw dozens of shards of earth made from his yin energy.


    Robert covered his spear in flames, his own hands protected by metal essence, and spun his spear. Using wind essence to increase the power of the spin, Robert was able to block most of the shards while three broke through and stabbed him. Edward howled at the ceiling, the crowd gasping as he broke to the sixth layer. He actually used his anger and blood lust to forcibly increase his soul force and breakthrough!


    "This is the end!" Edward roared as his body covered in ice.Shadows, ice, and water swirled at the tip of Frost Bite as Edward prepared for a lunge. Robert paled and took out a fake magical shield, augmenting it with flame and metal essence. As Edward lunged, his body a blur of three elements; Robert also sped forward as he hoped to decrease the power by blocking the attack sooner before Edward could take advantage of the full power of a complete lunge.


    "Vincent!" Catherine screamed and Vincent grinned as he appeared between the two right before they could get in range. He closed his eyes as his left hand contained cold yin energy while his right hand had hot yang energy. The ground shook and the air became heavy as his two hands touched and thrust outward. Robert was thrown back, his shield shattering as he fell after five steps. Edward''s spear made a loud clang and was repelled out of Edward''s hands, Edward also falling after five steps. Vincent swirled his arms and laid his palms to rest, one on top of the other. He sighed as he settled the yin and yang energy.


    "He just blocked them like that," a student said, Keili and the three others at the sixth stage staring at the two Turners.


    Vincent grinned at Catherine and made a thumbs up. Catherine smiled and nodded as she ran to the others. Vincent was about to talk when his body stilled and his heart bumped strongly, causing him to cough blood. He fell to one knee and people saw black energy rise from his body. No one recognized it but Vincent knew it was the black energy of the demon bones. His eyes widened as he felt the pain lessen, his body glowing as jade. He looked up and saw Keili smile at him as she healed him with her wood essence.


    "Are you alright. Thank you for stopping them both. They might have ruined their chances at the competition. On behalf of the Black Sword Academy, I apologize. I know Robert started all this and goaded your cousin to fight," Keili said. "My name is Keili Mu. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow."


    "Thank you," Vincent said as he rose to his feet. Surprisingly, his heart no longer burned. This girl had astonishing healing powers and he could tell she was also at the sixth layer. As she was also covered in a jade light, Vincent momentarily lost his wits as she healed him. His cheeks burned for some reason, but it was a warm feeling. He didn''t know what it was but it felt nice.


    "You okay Robert?" Carly asked as she and Bing helped up her boyfriend.


    "I''m fine. I wasn''t hurt. Long time no see, Bing," Robert smiled as he turned to Vincent. "Thank you for going easy on me. I apologize for my actions. I wanted to fight a rival but I went a little too far due to my personality."


    "It''s alright. Sorry about the shield," Vincent said and tried to help Edward.


    "Don''t touch me," Edward said as he swat Vincent''s hand away. "He''s not wrong. I am not as great as you two. I''m talented, but that is only in cultivation methods. I....I need to be alone."


    "Edward," Catherine called as Edward stormed out the room. She paled as she saw Vincent with his hand on the crown of a student;s head.


    "How dare you insult my mother. You think you could get away with that?" Vincent laughed and slowly crushed him. The student screamed as his skull cracked. Vincent threw him and he crashed through the wall.


    "Vincent!" Catherine stomped her foot.


    "I said I wouldn''t kill those who insulted my mom," Vincent shrugged and left with a few plates and soda cans.


    "Still, I said that''s not the problem. Why are you two so retarded!" Catherine pouted as Vincent waved nonchalantly as he left.


    "Two hundred gold. Pay up. Pay up," Xin grinned.


    "It was worth it," the two best friends grinned and happily exchanged gold coins. Other students also did the same thing. Evidently, they had made wagers of their own.


    "You need any healing?" Catherine asked as she walked to Robert.


    "Thanks. Sorry for my boyfriend," Carly said as Catherine healed Robert. "What about the other guy?"


    "He can die. He doesn''t know how horrible my aunt''s death was to Vincent. He''s lucky Vincent did not break every finger, toe, foot, hand, both arms, both legs, and all his ribs. He did that before, a long time ago, in the wilderness. Even if an Exile lives in a city, some of the wilderness stays with you," Catherine sighed.


    "That guy was strong and cute," Keili thought as she watched Catherine and the others leave. "Vincent Turner. He is kind of wild, like a wolf. I''d love to fight with him or see him again."

 Chapter 9: The Games Begin

    Chapter 9: The Games Begin


    "Wake up! Wake up! Ms. Cao is calling us!" Xin yelled and the nine other students scrambled down to the dining room of Bu Kong''s pavilion.


    "My cousin and I are talking with Dr. Gavin. I''m heading to Vincent''s room after dressing," Catherine said, catching her breath as her cousin stepped out his room with a dark expression. He faked a smile to his sister as he walked past Vincent''s room to the stairs.


    "Your vitals are stable. It seems the girl''s healing properties are really good. As expected of the prodigy of the Mu Clan," Dr. Gavin said as they sat in Vincent''s room. "Remember to not use much strength for now. Use yin and yang energy separately. Let your body adjust to your heart and other changes."


    "Yes, doctor," Vincent nodded as he pet his dragon as it slept on his lap.


    "Your yin and yang energy are purifying now, thanks to meditating under the moonlight," the doctor nodded. "You said you cultivate the Thunder Clap Qilin technique, right? That is good. You need to learn a martial skill now. Some cultivation methods can be used as martial skills, like your Ice Devil Strike and Savage Elephant Tusk techniques, but they pale in comparison to a true martial skill. The problem is that martial skills are incredibly rare. Magic spells are easier to find and is the reason why the mage path is popular for those who are not confident with their fighting skills. The best way is to do a major contribution to one of the nine top organizations, like the Zodiac Dojo of Spires I suggested you join."


    "Hello doctor," Catherine said as she walked in and closed the door. "Does that mean my cousin and I get martial skills for being part of your Project Meteor?"


    "Girls pay more attention to detail," Dr. Gavin laughed. "Yes. I came here to offer you both three choices each, each of the three suitable for you. You are both Experiment V-21 and V-63, the hopes of our project. Now that all three series are successful, we are preparing to move to Phase 2. Letting you gain a martial skill will ensure your survival in case spies who infiltrated the Testing Center and Zodiac Dojo of Spires discovers your data and make an attempt to kill you."


    "Edward will hate me even more," Vincent sighed as Catherine nodded silently.


    "Okay. Martial skills are significantly more powerful than cultivation methods. Cultivation methods are the foundation of increasing the soul force within the orb of power. Martial skills use soul force to transcend human limitations. They are known as martial arts techniques, for fighters and not regular people," Dr. Gavin began as he handed two books to Catherine and Vincent. "Each of you will be given an agility martial skill. You still have your three choices, worry not. Agility techniques will allow you to move faster than your enemy and increase your chances of dodging and escaping."


    "Great," Catherine smiled and they both put the skill away, using their Exile methods to completely conceal it.


    "So it is true. Exiles have such an ability," Dr. Gavin thought aloud and continued. Each of you take these three books or scrolls and choose well. Don''t bother looking at each others'' choices as they are different and unsuitable for you. Once you have made your choice, return the other two to me."


    "All of them have to do with the sword?" Vincent commented as he stared at his choices.


    "Indeed. You practice very suitable cultivation methods for unarmed fighting. Savage Elephant Tusk and Ice Devil Strike are both offensive and defensive techniques with your swords. Golden Monkey Force and Iron Shark Skin are both techniques that use your own body and are the most universal when it comes to yin and yang usage," Dr. Gavin nodded. "You are a swordsman and your ancient cultivation method augments your body with the fusion of yin and yang to produce lightning and thunder, the same as that of the heavens. Thus, you need a strong sword martial skill besides an agility martial skill. Agility martial skills give you the speed. Now, you need power. In this world, the strong walk over the weak and the weak suffer them. Once you graduate and choose one of the nine top organizations, as if getting rejected would be possible in your case; then you will leave your sheltered life and live another one closer to the life of an Exile you left behind."


    "And these are the most suitable," Vincent said as he gazed at three scrolls. "Lava Giant Stroke, Freezing Sage Slash, and Gold Dragon Swordplay. Lava Giant Stroke, a martial skill that covers the fighter in fire and increases the power of his attacks a hundred fold. Using the martial skill requires mastery of yang and yin energy, making hot yang so hot it ashes and cold yin so cold it burns. All fake magical items will shatter before the blow, unable to resist," Vincent read. "Wow so strong?"


    "Freezing Sage Slash covers the blade with yin and yang energy to make the sword''s edge unstoppable. The more yin and yang fused into one at higher purity, the sharper the sword. The fighter is also able to use his hands and feet as swords. Created by Another great technique," Vincent nodded and turned to the last scroll, his eyes widening in shock."Gold Dragon Swordplay, a martial skill with strict requirements. Painstaking requirement of a fighter who has the might of a Mazoku and bones of a dragon. Must have a heart of a Mazoku and capability to fuse yin and yang to make tribulation lightning of the heavens."


    "That''s right. I intended you to learn this one. Just like how your sister was experimented on to suite another," Dr. Gavin smiled mischievously. "We assessed your personalities and guided you without you noticing. How you got qilin blood is beyond me. Still, you chose a yin and yang cultivation method. You also chose a unique demon bone, your entire bone makeup that of a demonic, amethyst-scaled rain dragon. That one, we expected as we noted your thirst of power for revenge. For both your skills, practice them once you reach the seventh layer. Using it now, during the tournament, will make you as much of a target as the fifth year students aiming for the top three prizes. Especially since you both will know two."


    "If I have these martial art skills and underwent the experiment, what prize should I get?" Vincent asked.


    "You already underwent a metamorphosis. The results of the experiment not showing just yet. Aim for second place and get the Nether Wyrm bone marrow," Dr. Gavin answered as he retrieved the two scrolls. "I will give Freezing Sage Slash to Edward. It is also suited to him, even though it will be slightly different as he only cultivates yin energy. However, most martial skills don''t have such strict requirements as the one you will practice. Do not tell him about the agility techniques and martial skills I gave you two. Let him think he is special and reveal it later."


    "Oh, good. He will be happy and not sulk anymore. Still, I don''t like being manipulated," Catherine pouted as she handed two books, keeping the one Dr. Gavin planned for her to learn.


    "We all get manipulated by adults," Dr. Gavin laughed. "Sometimes, it''s for your own good. You are just too young and innocent to understand why and what for. I will give it to Edward. No doubt the other seven and Ms. Cao will be startled. Let the boy shine and get first place. Try to make it look like you lost, Vincent. Catherine, my dear, you are not suited for fighting. Just qualify for the top sixty four out of one hundred and eighty fourth years. All eighteen academies, and the many organization scouts and clans, will seek out any member of the top sixty four from among the fourth and fifth years."


    "Okay," Catherine nodded as they followed Dr. Gavin downstairs.


    "Hello, Honorable Ancestor," Bu Kong bowed and the other students and Ms. Cao did the same.


    "HAHAHA. Don''t mind me. Just doing last minute checkups on these two. The results were unexpected," Dr. Gavin laughed as he pointed back at Vincent and Catherine. "Edward, my boy, come here. Take this martial skill, Freezing Sage Slash. Unlike them, you are suited for it. I had thought to also give them a martial skill, but they are not ready yet."


    "Because we had to get experimented on first," Vincent whispered as Catherine covertly elbowed him in the ribs.


    "T, that''s a martial arts skill! A real martial skill," Jenny Cao gasped as Edward happily grabbed the scroll.


    "Indeed. Never underestimate the Testing Center, my dear. We are not all just brains you know. I, myself, am above the Heavenly Warlord stage," the doctor laughed. "Bu Kong, help this kid learn it. I expect him to get first place. Most students are not rich or connected enough to have a martial skill. The White Dragon Academy''s glory is the glory of White Dragon District and the Testing Center, which is built in it. I could care less about the results of the other four years of students."


    "Thank you," Edward grinned and hugged the doctor.


    "Edward," Vincent began.


    "I...am sorry about last night. I misunderstood why the doctor took you two secretly. I admit I was jealous and the words of Robert held some truth," Edward said as he bowed to both Catherine and Vincent.


    "I, it''s okay," Catherine stuttered, feeling a little guilty for lying.


    "Now, head on to the coliseum. The games will begin soon. Two different competitions will determine the top sixty four. Just a hint from me to you all: only the top eight are one-on-one. You didn''t hear it from me," Dr. Gavin said, making a silent gesture with an index finger over his mouth.


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    "This year is exceptionally violent," Ms. Cao realized. "Just what is the City Lord baiting all the organizations, top nine organizations, and the powerful clans for?"


    "That, my dear, I am not allowed to say. It is a matter of principle and I would hate to break my word to the City Lord. He would be...a hassle to defeat. A small grief, if you will," he laughed and left them after summoning Bu Kong to talk with him for a moment.


    "So awesome," Edward said as he held the scroll as if it was the greatest treasure in the world.


    "Lucky," Xin sighed. "I wouldn''t mind even getting an agility martial skill."


    "They cost a bit. We can buy them and the weaker martial skills of other types," Fang grinned as he and Jing bumped fists.


    "I know one," Bing said, stunning everyone.


    "WHAT!" they cried as the moment passed.


    "She really is from a powerful clan," Vincent thought as he remembered how she talked about the two ancient scrolls as he fed his baby dragon some bacon.


    "Is everyone dressed in their uniform?" Ms. Cao asked as an hour passed since Dr. Gavin left.


    "Y~es," the students said as they walked out. The eight boys were wearing white silk shirts and completely black pants. Over their chests was a black circle with a white dragon with a Roman numeral four above it. It signified that they were fourth year students of White Dragon Academy. For students whose storage items were not rings or belts, they shrunk them to the size of a pea and pocketed them in their pants. They were forced to carry their weapons as it would be inconvenient to take it out of their storage items.


    "Remember," Bu Kong warned Edward. "Don''t use your martial skill until the top eight. You don''t want your competition to be prepared for it. There are also shady gamblers who would attempt to kill you so their candidate wins."


    "Thank you for teaching me the basics over the past hour," Edward said, returning to his old self after training under Bu Kong.


    "So lucky. He bound the scroll to himself and learned a martial scroll," Xin sighed as his two rich roommates called their parents to buy an agility martial skill. Jing''s father was a rich entrepreneur while Fang''s father was the third son of one of the top five clans in the city. Xin and the others were so surprised to see the scrolls delivered within half an hour. Fang''s clan was expected but they were surprised Jing''s dad was at the Heavenly Warlord stage.


    "Why were you so surprised to see the Warlord District?" Xin complained.


    "Uh, my dad has a house in the area bordering the entrance to the Black Sword Academy. My mom''s been doing work for the City Lord and we haven''t been home in a while. Most people usually don''t enter the area of another district in the Warlord District cause of all the faction dispute things and such. Black Sword Academy and White Dragon Academy are interested in other things besides power in Black Gate City," Jing shrugged.


    "Yup. Yup. Exactly. My clan lives in the edges of the Peach Blossom Wing and his mom''s house is next door, on the edge of the Red Lily Wing. That''s the Wing leading to the entrance to Black Sword District," Fang nodded. "Wings are separated by black metal walls. Still, we played together at the connecting doors but we mostly played at his house. That''s why he was surprised to see all the peach trees and Chinese architecture."


    "Ah," Xin said and quietly followed the others to the coliseum.


    "Are you the fourth years registered under White Dragon Academy?" a guard asked as he was clad in magical gold armor. All the guards were at the Earthly Fighter stage and it was an extreme honor to work in the Warlord District as they could make connections with those at the Heavenly Warlord stage.


    "Yes," Ms. Cao said as she handed a piece of paper to him.


    "Hmm. Hmm. It is verified. This year the games are different. Due to the drastic differences in cultivation strength, those at the sixth layer are exempted from the qualifying rounds and will automatically enter the top sixty four. This is for the protection of those below the fifth layer as a full power strike can easily kill students at the third and fourth layer. Those who qualify for the exemption are Vincent Turner, Catherine Turner, and Edward Turner. All others, please proceed inside and follow the other guard," the man said and Xin bumped fists with Vincent as he and the others followed another guard with Ms. Cao.


    "The three mentioned will follow me. My name is Tian Long, a fighter at the peak Heavenly Warlord stage," an old man smiled as he appeared wearing a black tuxedo with a gold tie. A white dragon was prominent on his tie as he continued, "You and the other four of the sixth layer will follow me."


    "Four? I thought there was only six of us, Edward being the sixth?" Catherine frowned.


    "Edward was not the only one to make a breakthrough during the fight. Robert Talon also broke through to the sixth layer after meditating and recovering from his spent energy," Tian smiled.


    "Are you, perhaps, the District Manager of White Dragon City?" Vincent asked, judging on the tie and cultivation stage.


    "Indeed I am. Jasper looked after you three well, that shifu of mine," Tian Long laughed. "Dr. Jasper Gavin has been quite interested in you three. Here, take this. It will cloak the signature of a martial skill in your body."


    "Huh?" Edward gasped as he and the other Turners received a black ring with a white dragon on it. "How did you know?"


    "Well, I am the District Manager and the Testing Center is in my district...hmm? Is that...impossible. That''s a silver dragon ring!" Tian gasped as he stared at the white wood ring with the silver dragon insignia worn on Vincent''s right index finger. "And that sword looks the same. I read a report. You called it Silver Thorn. Did you find them together?"


    "Yes. My mother and I found it long ago, in the wilderness," Vincent nodded. "Is something wrong?"


    "Ah, no. Nothing. I must be mistaken. There are others with silver dragon insignia, " Tian sighed as he stared at Vincent''s right hand as he put the black ring on his left middle finger. "If you two learn martial skills, the rings will also cloak the signatures. It is quite rare to have one and it has one other effect: the ability to store yin and yang energy. If you exhaust yourself in battle, you can draw the yin and yang energy you stored to restore your body back to a normal state. Best to keep that effect between us. Now, we will head to the V.I.P. Box where the City Lord, the other District Managers, and the four other fourth year students of the sixth layer are waiting."


    "How would we be ranked against them?" Edward asked as they walked inside the coliseum.


    "Vincent would have been fourth, but you have a martial skill. As for Catherine, she is ranked second," Tian answered, stunning them.


    "What? How could that be?" Edward asked as he stared back at Catherine.


    "She is a rare fighter who cultivates yin and yang using darkness and light as a medium instead of water and fire. You''ve only seen her use her healing right? I happened to see her secretly train at night. Heh. She is sure to surprise everyone in the coliseum," Tian said as he pat Catherine''s shoulder affectionately. "My White Dragon District sure got powerful residents. HAHAHAHA!"


    "Hehehe. Yup," Catherine said as she stuck out her tongue at Vincent and Edward. "Those two can''t compare to me. The doctor figured it out but decided to not reveal it as people stared at us all the time, in the Testing Center. He didn''t even say anything to Vincent or Edward."


    "Whoa!" Edward shouted as she appeared behind him with a dagger at his throat.


    "Yup. I''m stronger," she laughed and then stopped as she stared at Vincent. "I''m weaker than Vincent though. He is the one always hiding his true strength more than me."


    "Is that right?" Tian Long said as he stared at Vincent. "Either way, three guaranteed spots of the top sixty four belong to my district. Now, be sure to mind your tongues in front of the City Lord. He may be weaker than Dr. Gavin, but he holds the power and influence in the city. Also, beware the new third ranked academy, Green Tiger Academy. We knocked them to the third rank and they have the remaining two members of the sixth rank. As I''m sure you know, Keili Mu and Robert Talon are with the Black Sword Academy. Also, be wary of the lesser fifteen academies as they are jealous of those at the top. Factions. What a waste of time, but whatever makes the city prosper....I suppose."


    "Green Tiger?" Edward laughed.


    "Yes. It is rather strange, but I would not mock it in public. A green tiger Mazoku razed three cities to the ground in anger and the District Manager of the Green Tiger District has a green tiger tattoo on his back. He sees himself as the strongest feline Mazoku that could have been. Feline Mazoku are rare. He will particularly be nasty to you, Vincent, as you have a rare six-eyed silver jaguar tattoo. A jaguar Mazoku has never been seen before. You would have been the first," Tian warned.


    "Great. I have an enemy I never even met or wronged just because of what I could have been," Vincent sighed.


    "We all have enemies seen and unseen. Ah, here we are," Tian smiled as they stepped into a large platform overlooking the sands of the arena ground. "Poker faces on children. You might even be attacked by those from Green Tiger Academy and don''t want to look like an easy target. If they attack, break them. Oh, just break every bone in their body. Break their bones? Break their minds? I don''t mind at all. Just make it...entertaining, will you?"

 Chapter 10: Top Sixty Four

    Chapter 10: Top Sixty Four


    "Ah, Tian Long. Welcome. These must be the three sixth layer students of White Dragon Academy," a man in his late twenties wearing a white mask over the top half of his face said as he smiled. "What are your names?"


    "Edward Jones Turner, sir," Edward started. "This is my younger twin, Catherine Melissa Turner. The last of us is our cousin, Vincent Edris Turner."


    "Hello. My name is Wei Lin. I am the City Lord of Black Gate City. You three are Exiles, no? You Exiles sure are powerful. All of you have exceptional cultivation rates and none of you are from a powerful clan. Interesting," the masked man smiled. "Do pardon the mask. It makes me look pretty. I have a rather nasty scar from a single moment of passing. If you ever see a black dragon Mazoku flying in the sky, seek refuge at once. It might very well be THE Black Dragon. He has death Qi permeating from his body, like a miasma that drains the vitality from your body. Of my five friends and I, only I was able to get deep enough to survive as it passed through during my younger days."


    "Edward, I aplogize for my actions yesterday," Robert said, an old man nodding with approval before inclining his head to Tian Long.


    Edward said nothing as Catherine said, "Keili? How do you have your hair so straight and vibrant?"


    "Hello Catherine. Hi Vincent. My hair turned this way as I made a break through with my cultivation method. The body is enriched by wood essence and wood is the most nurturing element with water and light closest to it," Keili said as she walked over to Catherine and the two began talking.


    "Seems the situation is not as I expected. It seems Green Tiger Academy has not arrived yet. Still, the other fifteen District Managers sure have glares that can pierce the soul," Tian laughed. "Look at them, Vincent. They are only at middle Heavenly Warlord stage, not even the late stage. For someone at the peak, don''t worry about their glares."


    "It seems you''re right. Even Edward and Robert are talking about spear stances and techniques," Vincent nodded.


    "Why the checkered leather jacket and silver pauldron on each shoulder?" Tian Long asked.


    "My mom gave me a smaller version. She made it herself. It wasn''t leather though. I added the pauldrons to make it cooler as they are shoulder guards," Vincent answered as three people arrived, all of them wearing emerald green dojo uniforms with black sashes.


    "Tian Long. I see you came here with your students," a muscular brute sneered. "I reached late Heavenly Warlord stage. I am closer to being your match."


    "Hmph. I''ll breakthrough before you have the chance, Moss Juggernaut," Tian Long laughed as he mocked the man''s title. "Really now. A piece of dirt challenging the White Fang. You make me laugh."


    "You bastard," the man growled.


    "You want to die? Let''s go," Tian goaded.


    "Enough you two. The fifteen other District Managers are already at each others'' throats as they are all at the middle stage," the City Lord said, silencing the two. "Sakuya Orochi and Todoroki Aizawa. The final two students are here, at last. You six are the potential of your districts, already rivaling most fifth year students who are generally at the fourth or fifth stage as they aim for the Prospects Exams. You six are competing for the top three prizes: the third and second place prizes donated by the District Managers of your respective academies, and the first place prize donated by yours truly. That prize is a piece of armor made using the scales of a child of THE Black Dragon, the Overlord and Terror of Mazoku. It is the scales of a child of the very Mazoku that stands at the peak of the world. Naturally, it is priceless. As you are fourth year students, you will get a single piece of armor: the chest armor. It is considered an non-ranked magical treasure of a quality akin to that used by Heavenly Warlord stage fighters."


    "It will be mine," Edward said and all but Vincent stared at him. Even his twin wanted the armor.


    "Sorry, big brother. I will rank first," Catherine said.


    "Hmph. A healer getting first?" Todoroki scoffed. "I will take the armor and Green Tiger Academy will rank first among fourth years."


    "And I will get second. My boyfriend and I will take the top two spots and prove our dominance," Sakuya said as she stepped forward and stood beside Todoroki.


    "And you two?" Wei Lin asked Keili and Vincent.


    "I am interested in the orb of power of a chimera, donated by the Black Sword District Manager. My academy will take the first rank of the first three years. Everyone knows it so I don''t need to get first or second place as our overall ranking is obvious," Keili answered. "I can be selfish this time."


    "Good girl. I, Hao Li, am proud of you," the old man laughed and stared at Vincent. "And you, student of Tian Long''s district? What say you?"


    "Why should I argue with those weaker than me? Talk is cheap without the power to back it up," Vincent shrugged.


    "You think you''re better than me?" Todoroki yelled as he leaped at him, a long katana in his hand as it slashed downward.


    Vincent narrowed his eyes and blurred. A cry was heard and a body smashed into the wall. It was Todoroki Aizawa and the upper portion of his robe was both burnt and frozen. A bruise in the shape of a palm was prominent on his chest. Vincent picked up the katana and noticed it was a fake magical weapon. He smirked and focused yin and yang energy into his hands. Unable to take the power, the blade of the katana shattered.


    "Fake magical weapons? You look down on me. It would have worked on a normal person but I cultivate yin and yang energy, fusing them into one to transcend both," Vincent said as he tossed the handle away like trash.


    "You bastard!" Todoroki roared as a black and green energy swirled around his body.


    "Mazoku life force, the most dangerous cultivation method in the city," Tian Long sighed as he stared at the boy. "You should know your limits, boy. Go too far and you become a Mazoku."


    "I will get that armor!" Todoroki screamed as he took out two katanas. Despite the long length blades, Todoroki could wield them with ease. "To the death!"


    "Do not dishonor me in front of the City Lord. Stop at once!" Danzo Oda roared.


    "Apologies, my lord," Todoroki said and glared at Vincent as he put his katanas away. "This isn''t over, Exile bastard."


    "That''s a good mutt," Vincent laughed.


    "You finally let it go, huh?" Catherine said as Vincent was not phased by the insult.


    "I don''t care about my father. Still, you are right about revenge. I''ll only think about it when the situation arises. It''s time I moved on. My mother would have wanted that. I was just too....angry. Angry at my Thorny Devil lizard. Angry at myself for bringing it to our temporary home. Angry at my father for leaving my mom before I was even born and learning he didn''t want to take responsibility," Vincent sighed.


    "Duan Yang is a terrible man," Catherine nodded and the City Lord''s eyes widened behind his mask, unnoticed by all as his mask covered the upper half of his face.


    "Duan Yang had a son?" Wei Lin thought as he stared at Vincent. "It''s true. He looks like him."


    "Well," the City Lord began after a moment as everyone quieted down. "The first two games should be ending soon. The first is a strength test, eliminating all those at the third layer and most at the fourth layer. The second is a measurement of soul force power. Having a high soul force is not the same as being able to use it all efficiently. By now, the fifty eight other competitors should be determined. I will now explain how the games will be reduced to just eight."


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    "Yes, City Lord," the six students said as they gave him their undivided attention, even Todoroki as he changed into a new robe.


    "As you know there are sixty four of you in the third games and only eight of you can fight one-on-one battles for the top three prizes. Well, the third game is simple: a battle royal until only eight are left standing!" the City Lord laughed, their faces darkening. As they were the most powerful, the other fifty eight would naturally target them first for higher chances to get the top three ranks.


    "There''s more. Mazoku at the strength of the fourth layer will also be among you. To qualify for the top eight, you must kill eight Mazoku. You can only purposely kill eight. After killing eight, you must not harm the rest, making the games all the more exciting," the City Lord laughed.


    "Fifty six others will be disqualified, can only kill eight Mazoku, and dodge the rest until only eight remain," Tian Long said and the masked man nodded. "The Fall Gate Competition has never been this violent for fourth years."


    "You can always forfeit," the masked man shrugged and all six shook their heads. "See. They have no qualms doing it. Why get in their way? Now, all you District Managers and students leave. This is my V.I.P. Box and I don''t like to share. Vincent and Tian Long, you two stay."


    "Yes, City Lord," everyone bowed and left to their academies'' waiting areas beneath the coliseum, guided by the coliseum guards.


    "Vincent, how did Jennifer Turner die?" Wei Lin asked softly.


    Vincent''s eyes widened and five spear heads appeared out of nowhere. They were all silver and hand a small decorated handle too small for a dagger. They were like flying spears and each of them radiated a jade energy. If one looked closely, it was actually a poisonous mist! They were non-ranked magical daggers given to him by his mother. They weren''t fake magical weapons or true magical weapons.


    Flying and hidden weapons were the reasons shamans were feared as they best utilized the killing proficiency of telekinesis. Naturally, Vincent had other items from his mother but didn''t know much about her history with his father and Black Gate City. All he knew was where it was and to go there.


    "How do you know my mother? Do you know my father?" Vincent asked.


    "Put those away before you get yourself killed," Tian Long advised and the flying spear heads disappeared in a flash.


    "Flying Dragon Teeth. I made those for her, you know. She was my finest disciple and the amount of disciples I had could be counted on one hand," Wei Lin answered.


    "A Thorny Devil lizard I found was infected. I didn''t know and it became a dragon and killed my mother. She hid me in a dirty locker and all I found in the rain was her head," Vincent answered, seeing the sadness in the eyes of the masked man.


    "Ah, how terrible. Her injuries never healed," Wei Lin moaned. "When she disappeared, I had hoped it was because she recovered. Alas, I was wrong. So wrong."


    "Injuries?" Vincent frowned, remembering peaceful and happy times with his mom. She didn''t look injured.


    "It  is nothing. There are too many things you know little about," the man waved. "I''ll tell you if you reach the Heavenly Warlord stage. As for Duan Yang, I don''t know where he is. He disappeared at the same time as your mother. What I can tell you is that your anger, and that of your mother, was displaced. He lied about not wanting to take responsibility to protect Jennifer. After all, no one knew of their relationship but me. Thus, no one knew she was pregnant with you. He left to protect you two, I reckon. Again, it is too soon for you to know."


    "I....I....I misunderstood my father all this time?" Vincent said, falling to his knees as the news was too much.


    "Sometimes revenge blinds you, like now. You didn''t know the whole story, only your mother''s point of view. Trust me when I said your father loved you both and left so that you two could live. Sadly, he failed one of you. Do not let revenge make him lose you too," Tian Long nodded as he let Vincent cry for a moment. "Junior sister would not want to see you cry. Just so you know, your mother reached late Earthly Fighter stage before she disappeared."


    "You were also a disciple of the City Lord?" Vincent realized after a moment.


    "Your mother told you to come to Black Gate City for a reason: to meet us two. You were supposed to meet us in your first year, but we heard you took to training for three years," Wei Lin said.


    "Now I know that silver dragon ring is legitimate. Your mother searched long and hard for it in the archives of the City Lord''s library. I tried reading some of the books she read and only found out what it was, not what it could do. Perhaps, you may discover its secrets and what your mother''s aim was," Tian Long smiled. "Still, we do not want your enemies to know who your father is. No one heard what your cousin said, but us as we were close enough to hear it. Just use the Turner surname for now. Also, I''ll modify that phoenix medallion. You can store your items in there from now on. All items gifted by the phoenix have storage abilities but they are locked until the city can trust the Exile. Of course, don''t tell your cousins that bit."


    "I understand. Thank you," Vincent nodded as he wiped the tears away as his medallion shined once before returning to normal.


    "As you are her son, I believe it is fitting to give you this in her stead," the City Lord said after Vincent transferred his items into the medallion, giving him a rectangular gold box with a black dragon on top. Bind it for now and you may access its contents when you reach the Earthly Fighter stage. Whether or not the contents will be useful will be up to you to determine."


    "Thank you," Vincent bowed his head, bound the box to him with a drop of blood, and stored it in his phoenix medallion.


    "That white leather jacket with the checkered line around the center, it brought fond memories to her and now you. It is good to see you wear it," the City Lord said and the two bowed their heads before leaving.


    "Jennifer, your son made it. I can only hope he finished what you started," Wei Lin said sadly as a burden lifted from his heart after knowing his disciple''s fate and legacy at last.


    "You Exiles truly lived horrible lives outside the cities," Tian sighed as he led Vincent to the others. "If you need anything, you can always visit me."


    "What was my mother like, before I was born?" Vincent asked.


    "Heh. She was already an Exile, like all Turners were. She was truly gifted. Her brother returned to the wilderness as he did not like the city, his wife following him even though she was pregnant with those twins. She brought life and joy with her. Her fascination with the shaman and mage path slowed her cultivation as she immersed herself in her research. Shifu, the City Lord, had noticed her talent and secretly took her in. She was kind, gentle, and the scariest person I ever met," Tian laughed and told Vincent more memories as they reunited with the others.